Twi Phone-ology | By Andrew Geoffrey Kwabena Moss
Twi Phone-ology
Mum on the phone speaking pure Twi
I hear the ring of tongue twisting conjuring
I listen in, keenly, to my Kwahu ancestry
Greetings of ‘wo ho te sen?’ from the kingdom of Ashanti
On her lips beam golden regal recognition
Mum on the phone speaking pure Twi
Enunciating ancient graciousness: mepaakyew and medaase*
Akan affricates blend and resound with nasal ring
I listen in, keenly, to my Kwahu ancestry
Lips pursed, teeth and tongue twist in magical phonology
Nasalised vowels, blown like trumpets in rhythm
Mum on the phone speaking pure Twi
The rises and falls of songbirds singing Fanti
Fantastic trills and taps, unknown digraphs flying
I listen in, keenly, to my Kwahu ancestry
Thoughts and expressions of a homeland free
Abruptly
the
line
goes
dead_________________________________
a glottal stop to linguistic wanderin
Mum on the phone spoke pure Twi
I listened in, keenly, to my Kwahu ancestry.
About the Author:
Andrew Geoffrey Kwabena Moss is a writer and teacher who has lived in the UK, Japan and currently Australia. Of Anglo-Ghanaian heritage, his work seeks to explore and challenge liminal landscapes, complex identities and the social constructs of race. Andrew is a member of the ACT Writers’ Centre. His work has previously appeared in Afropean, People in Harmony, Fly on the Wall Press, Fair Acre Press, Golden Walkman Magazine, Beliveau Books, GMGA Publishing and Poor Yorick Literary Journal.