Modou Lamin Age-Almusaf Sowe is an award-winning Gambian author, poet, blogger, novelist, and playwright. His books have been translated into 5 different languages. Modou loves traveling and has been to 15 different countries around the world. Author of Don't Judge The Book By The Cover (2006), The Throne of The Ghost (2016), The Memories of Reflection (2014), TWAWEZA (2019), and AfriKa Not AfriCa (2020).
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
I Do Not Worship The God You Worship (Poem by Modou Lamin Age-Almusaf Sowe)
Friday, November 18, 2022
Decolonizing The Heart (A Poem) by Modou Lamin Age-Almusaf Sowe
Hey Miss Tonto,
You running to my mama I want you to please tell her I say that I say something
Miss Tonto, I started to believe in such things like heaven's trumpet
After it is over, is this is it done?
If there is heaven, make it speak to your son
Exaggerated a little bit
Trying to make a point to make you understand why you should quit smoking.
Miss Tonto, you see my moma tell her am lost,
Living in a world without a mother when life is tough
Falling in love is not love.
Before my funeral is arranged
Before the sky is damaged
The rivers are folded like a carpet
Your kings will be our slaves
We will assemble every man from his grave
From the incense of intelligence
To the hospital of thoughts;
We taught your teachers what you never read in books.
If insanity is the drug of misery
What is the cure for death?
Miss Tonto, my sins always light the cigarettes and people talk when I cough
I started back up again; twenty years later, I got famous throughout the world
Can buy food for myself when is life soft.
Miss Tonto, you see my mama whisper her this:
The real reason why I go to church on Sundays to confess my sins,
Passing my Bible studies and Satan helping me with my homeworks,
I saw spirits spitting and eating the flesh of so on and so on,
And until this day, Gambians do not know I write for them.
From Ghana to Alabama
Read my speeches like Barrack Obama
God sent down prophets and books
But you swallowed the pages
Painted the law of divinity
Declared yourselves prophets
Steal, rub and drink
Constitutionalized lies
Monetized the law
and normalized evil.
Miss Tonto, you see my father please ask him why he married my mother, was he happy inside?
Because it takes dignity to carry my mother's name with him.
Am sure I did it in spite of my decision at birth to be a Nigerian:
I'm a genius inside battling with Satan and all angels running arts and culture
We're like two young people with different views whether a penis is actually a toy.
I die from heart conditions caused by the divorce I did to The Gambia
What's the need of decolonizing the mind if the heart is still enslaved?
When prophets and kings sold their souls
Lies on the lips of a president
Writers write for Satan
The pastor preaches good but drinks from the bottle of sin
Money is god
Winning is vital
School teaches immorality
Education doesn't benefit Ph.D. holders
Technology controls your minds
But we control your hearts.
Decolonizing the mind, for who, to whom?
Who lied to you?
Saturday, September 3, 2022
Delicious My Sugar Sauce ( Love Poem )
Disclaimer: Modou Lamin Age-Almusaf Sowe was paid by a client to write this love poem for her. The name of this person is withheld for personal reasons. Therefore, the picture is only used with the permission of the person herein for the purpose of this poem.
I like the caesura you deliberately make in contextuality of my dramatic irony I like the brevity in your sensation
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
If I Wasn't Me ( A Poem)
Thursday, May 12, 2022
How To Borrow From God
Imagine living in a world where money is God, winning is vital, and people must keep the title, and perhaps, with a global president called Michael. If money, they say, is the god of women, what is the god of men? The most expensive bank in the world is not Barclays or the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Limited, but it is the bank of poverty of imagination locked in actual self-doubt and prejudice. The reason why we could not still overcome the global financial crisis -- is not because there is not much money in the world-- or there are not enough papers to print enough money to feed every country-- but is it the belief of power and position as merchants of superiority.
The belief is that war, nuclear weapons, and ammunition are means of governance in a world where everyone can borrow money from God. Too powerful -- too economic-- too brave, and just too wealthy to be too much belittled. In tandem with this unacceptable fact, our suffering is preceded by a corrosive lack of global unity in terms of financial differences to remedy the crisis. In the words of American rapper, Tupac Shakur, ''Instead of war on poverty, we gotta war on drugs and the police can't bother me.''
One of the problems confronting the world is the gradual but steady religious erosion that can be noted from one continent to another. People becoming rather too nonreligious to belong to the religion of money. Climate change is not the changing of the climate, but it is the changing of people to learn not to unlearn what they must not resist. People cause climate change and the change is constant. Religion has become less religious as economic hardship hits the globe persistently. Poverty has been understood as a man-made illness that has a cure -- money. Poverty is not poor--but poor people are poor. The language of humanity is human. Do you know the sounds and letters of humanity to be able to borrow money from God?
How to borrow money from God? Let's assume that the year is 2065 and the world no longer uses i-phones but people are using mind-phones. Technology has advanced so much that people use TV cell phones and no longer have time for flat TV sets and watching TVs. Robots are actively roaming the world with aliens accompanying them. Money is gathering all evil people up there in the skies by giving them positions to govern alibi. Let's say that the best way to borrow money from God is not to borrow money from Satan. But in 2065, nobody will be poor unless you want to.
As a librarian, let me quickly tell you that the advancement of technology is also the decline of African culture and civilization. In the year aforementioned, Africans will need an app on their phone that reminds them how to perform ablution in Islam or how to fast regularly in Christianity. In Africa, a child which is not wild is not from his father's lineage, but how about not knowing his heritage? That too has a price.
African traditions and values are gradually becoming a thing of the past as there are several influences from other cultures to adopt what is referred to as a more ‘open-minded’ culture of freedom without restrictions. Just one word -- money. One of the ingredients that perhaps act as a catalyst is the prevailing cultural stereotype where some cultures are viewed through the lenses of negativity and inferiority. This leads to the abandonment of those cultures by the newer generation who are supposed to ensure its longevity. Since the start of the 21st century, humanity has faced at least three global crises. The first crisis pertains to the 9/11 terror attacks in the US that facilitated the US-led war on terrorism, which in turn, facilitated the expansion of state surveillance systems, widespread extrajudicial killings, and the prevalent use of torture and other abusive state actions.
The second crisis, meanwhile, refers to the 2007–2008 global financial crisis that was considered at the time the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression in the 1930s.
At present, we fight for survival against the threat posed by the COVID-19 global pandemic. This third crisis forced governments to impose forms of lockdown and quarantine, shutting down schools, universities, restaurants, cultural centers, and other organizations to slow down the viral infection rate. But of course, according to the English language, the invasion of Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Iran, Palestine, Israel, the Ethiopian crisis, the Rwanda Genocide, and even the current Ukraine crisis are not crises. Truth be told-- even slavery is not considered a humanitarian crisis. What happens when the rich fight with the rich? The prices of commodities rise, not so? The poor get poorer-- and the rich becomes worried.
Confronted by these challenges, I am still asking how to borrow money from God? As alluded to by my colleague, the famous Nigerian author, Anthony Onugba, cultural erosion is dependent on cultural stereotypes. Therefore, one way to borrow money from God is to borrow a chapter from the scriptures because even the devil reads the Bible. Should the world expect assistant Jesus just in case?
I would like to conclude with the Swahili saying that goes, “ukiona mwenzio ananyolewa zako tia maji”. Difficult to understand but it means, “if you see your neighbor's house on fire standby with water to put yours out in case it spreads.''
As a child and an adult, most of my life has been spent in Africa, and for nearly a decade, much of my literary production has focused on my interaction with the environment. Drawing on long-term ethnographic research and intellectual honesty, I would like to provide you with a critical analysis of peoples' ability to be able to borrow money from God. Yes, it does exist. Nelson Mandela said, and I quote ‘’ if a nation wants development, the youths must be educated.’’ The wealth of every nation is the youth. A country is only poor without a youthful population.
Permit me to borrow a quote from Albert Einstein who said "those who have the privilege to know, have the duty to act. To you, my readers, it is now your sacred duty to do the rest, either to succeed or fail, to benefit society or benefit oneself. Alan Saporta said, and I quote “the best way to escape from a problem is to solve it." Let me say any national problem which is not solved, is still a problem for its people. Freedom is so very nice and can even turn mice into a goat, but let us remember a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr, which reads "let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup." The only key to freedom is money. If money was the vehicle during the slave trade, humanity will legalize slavery.
Let me put it in the French adjectival and adverbial funnel of interpretation to defile the youth of your happiness for yet imagining the goal of my meditation. ‘Qui- who, Quand-when, and Comment--how and when do you borrow money from God? I would like to end with some words from Bessie Head, a South African writer who lived most of her life in Botswana. When she was asked the question WHY DO YOU WRITE? Her response was this: ''I am building a stairway to the stars. I have the authority to take the whole of mankind up there with me. That is why I write.''
Something tells me that a generation of new ideas and talent is about to change the world.
My special wishes to you! To schedule or book me for public lectures/ book launches/ conferences/ readings/ script-writing/ keynote/motivational speaking events, please email:
© MODOU LAMIN AGE-ALMUSAF 2022 All Rights Reserved!
Thank you for reading and following my blog. Should you wish to use any of my articles for research, lectures, personal use, etc., kindly address your message to: modoulaminsowe1@hotmail.com. Copying any of my articles without written permission is an infringement of Copyright.
Thursday, March 3, 2022
Should We Fall In Love? (Poem)
Should we fall in love?
Or should we just laugh like, lol?
The very first day I came into existence
Your love was planted in me
And I grew up searching for you;
Names
like Stacey, Whiskey and Tracy; all did break my heart and made me crazy.
It
was you I didn’t meet...
I
feel what you felt, like an undiscovered Celt, I melt. I am melting for you.
It's your food I want to belch.
I
want to put words into your mouth:
Should fall in love this month?
My
senses of sight, smell, touch & hearing
Are
all yours.
Should
we fall in love?
Friday, February 18, 2022
Writing and Covid-19: Books are Essential in Times of Crisis
In Africa, particularly West Africa, many authors encountered economic fall-out, loss of fees and lack of needed exposure. While Nigeria still remains Africa's most vibrant literary hub, authors were seriously affected during the COVID-19 pandemic by working from home and faced inaccessibility to research facilities.
Prof. Chinedum Igwe, Executive Director, International Association of African Authors and Scholars (IAAAS), Atlanta, USA
“From an author point of view, it is probably one of the biggest pandemics in human history,” says Prof. Chinedum Igwe, Executive Director, International Association of African Authors and Scholars (IAAAS), Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
The African book industry will have to deal with a great shift, after more and more bookshops had been closed and some of them never even opened again, the publishing houses postponed or canceled titles. Several cultural institutions – libraries, theaters, small sized event organizers – also have to deal with losses, will close or lower the budget in general for cultural events.
In countries like The Gambia with a very low literacy rate and poor readership, authors suffered great financial losses due to cancellation of events and having low sales of their books.
There was no book launch for nearly one year and events, readings (especially in schools, libraries, cultural institutions and bookshops), award ceremonies, book fairs, workshops, lectures and residency-scholarships were canceled. The situation quickly threatened the existence of many writers and authors.
While many authors work from home during the pandemic, many have no other choice but to publish articles in local newspapers. In The Gambia, the local newspapers, notably The Standard Newspaper, Foroyaa Newspaper, The Voice Newspaper and The Point have published dozens of articles from authors during lockdowns. Many of them believe that COVID-19 has made literary strikes to compel them into writing new books during lockdowns.
Lamin B. Fatty, Gambian Author
“I have not written a new book since the lockdown. A writer’s job is of course to write what makes the stories of human life, and to do so, you have to keep writing,” explains Lamin B. Fatty, a young Gambian author.
For Ms. AZEB YOSEPH AMBACHEW, the Founder and Executive Director of ONE AFRICA PEN WARRIORS FOR DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION (OAPWOD), an organization established in December 2019, Covid-19 has mostly affected women writers in Ethiopia. The organization is dealing with African history, culture, indigenous languages, democracy, unity and Identity. It strongly opposes migration. This organization has a plan to discuss the root causes of migration and how to especially save Africa’s youthful population to stop thinking about migration.
Azeb Yoseph Ambachew, Executive Director, One Africa Pen Warriors Organization for Development (OAPWOD), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
“When we are talking about the impacts of COVID -19, we should remember that it has created major economic crises on our industrial and agricultural activities. If I am not mistaken, COVID-19 hit Ethiopia on the 13th of March 2020 while the executive and regular members of my organization started working on promoting its vision and mission in a very organized way,’’ says Azeb Yoseph Ambachew. The diversity of books and culture is in real danger because of the COVID-19 effects on the economy.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected the African writing workforce in many ways. Many worried that stay-at-home grants would proportionately enhance the productivity and well-being of African writers, including women and early-career authors, who were expected to shoulder more on writers residencies and or grants. However, West African writers are still yet to adequately address the development and technology behind the different vaccines that have been released and that are being created. They are yet to also address the acquisition and distribution of vaccines globally, including “vaccine nationalism” and questions of equity. Award-winning Gambian author, Modou Lamin Age-Almusaf Sowe, is trying to show how the vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccination activism, as well as misinformation and disinformation against vaccines immunity, community masking and social distancing measures, as well as emerging variants are issues in West Africa.
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"Left-Eye" poem by Modou Lamin Age-Almusaf Sowe
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Gambian author, Modou Lamin Age-Almusaf Sowe cooked in Abuja, Nigeria, during the 2020 PenPen Africa Writers Residency organized by the Afri...
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