Nyansa Aketekyiwa (the pot of wisdom)

Nyansa Aketekyiwa
(the pot of wisdom)
Ananse the the wise--
A fool in disguise
Wanted to have all the wisdom
In the earthly kingdom

Ananse got up one day
Took his pot made of clay
He selfishly sought to keep
All wisdom very deep

On his way he saw a man
Weaving kente with his son
He got their wisdom in his pot
He went on never to stop

He saw the palmwine tapper
Climbing up without a ladder
Again the pot did swallow
Another wisdom. On he did go

Ananse got to a palace
The king was judging a case
Again the pot rejoiced
Ananse made another wise choice

He roamed and roamed and roamed
Until he had enough to take home
the wisdom of the healer
those of the creative stealer
the mound moulder
the fountain builder
and all others he could gather

Ananse had sought
for--and he thought
he had had---every wisdom that was

Ananse did confide
In tall tree to hide
His treasure so high
From every man's eyes

Ananse tied the pot to his belly
And started the climbing journey
How hard it seemed. O How hard
Just as he was about to retard

He  heard the voice of his son,
Ntikuma, echoing beyond the aged sun
Paapa, Paapa, so you are stuck---
Why didn't you tie the pot to your back?

So there was still some wisdom with that little  boy
O he dropped the pot to get it destroyed
So all he had gathered fled
Wisdom spread to all the worlds

©SarpongKumankoma