The cathedral

[Okoroafor Chike]

On this dirty patch
a tree once stood
shedding incense on the infant corn:
its boughs stretched across a heaven
brightened by the last fires of a tribe.
They sent surveyors and builders
who cut that tree
planting in its place
A huge senseless cathedral of doom.

A poem by Kofi Awoonor.

[Emmanuel Monychol]

Are you still complaining, bro. Simply uproot the fake tree that you called 'cathedral of doom'..

[Okoroafor Chike]

This poem expresses in a compact and persuasive way disapproval of the change from the complex life of Africa's past to her more modern environment and practices. The cathedral is taken to symbolise not only foreign (and therefore empty and meaningless) religious practices, but other changes that accompany the intertruption of the spiritual and commonly shared experiences of a people.

I sincerely thank God for Christianity!

So Emmanuel, do you think I complaining? If so, for what am I complaining about? You?
Do you still remember one your post entitled BEAR? I got confused so I simply asked and you graciously explained. In this case, you should have done the same. I'm not competing with you. THIS IS A FORUM. If we both were gods of english, we won't need this forum. But we aren't. That's why we are here to grow. Thanks to big bro Sola. I'll always love your comments no matter how they come but please, don't attack me when you do.

[Emmanuel Monychol]

Dearest Chike, Under no circumstances was I ridiculing you. When I said 'are you still complaining' I was not referring to you as the poet; rather I was addressing the persona in the poem. Chike, you are a very instrumental person and I owe my success to you. Please let us nurture each other. Let us not be weak writers; writers do not compete; they nurture each other. For all of us are bent to attacking vices in our societies; We therefore have to stand aloof from such negative vices. Chike, take my hand and help me develop; I will do likewise. I am a moderate Christian. I love that poem for all its stands. We are attacking the vices that mask good Christianity and that was why Jesus wondered: "will the son of man find faith when He returns"?

I take the blame for hurting you.

[Okoroafor Chike]

You've appologised. I accept.

[Emmanuel Monychol]

You are an assert to me. It is through you that I find my weaknesses in writing and other rounds. Without your sincere comments, this forum is nothing to me.
Thank you