A Republic in Reflection, A Poet in Purpose
Every Republic Day, Ghana lifts its head not in boast, but in memory. We remember July 1, 1960, not just as a date but as a declaration: that our destiny belongs to us. That we, the people, hold the power. And yet, over six decades on, as the flags rise and the speeches echo, one truth remains, nation-building is not a once-off event. It’s a continuous composition.
And if building a republic is an ongoing poem, then maybe, just maybe, the poet is the one we’ve overlooked as a public servant.
The Poet’s Place in the Republic: More Than a Stage
In Ghana, the poetry is often seen as entertainment, a side act at a conference, a voice to “open the floor.” But the truth is, the poet is the floor. The foundation. The one who listens in metaphors, feels in rhythm, and interprets society in verses long before policy catches up. Performance poetry, raw, live, public, is one of the few art forms that dares to meet people where they are i.e. marketplaces, classrooms, street corners, and national stages. It is protest without violence. Vision without varnish. A mirror to the soul of a country. It’s time we stop treating the poet as garnish and start seeing them as governance.
Poetry as a Tool of Civic Education
What better way to teach the Constitution than through cadence? What better way to talk about corruption than in couplets? Poets translate what press conferences complicate. They bring language to the lived experience of the people.
In a time when many Ghanaians especially, the youth are disillusioned with politics, performance poetry provides a bridge, not from the stage to fame, but from the stage to state. It turns silence into civic participation.
At the 2023 SheShe Slam held at Silverbird Cinemas, Organized by Ehalakasa, spotlighted civic themes through original 3-minute poems marking International Women’s Day. Finalists tackled issues like governance, patriotism, and gender empowerment. The winning duo, Grace Nkrumah-Buandoh and Bertha Enam Afi Galley, delivered a bold critique of poor leadership, blending sharp poetic expression with civic awareness.
Let’s call it what it is, public service in spoken word.
From Kwame Nkrumah to Koo Kumi, The Republic Needs New Voices. Our founding fathers understood oratory power. Kwame Nkrumah’s speeches were sermons. His vision was poetic not in fluff, but in fire. He built a nation not just on plans but on language.
Today, that baton belongs to a new generation. Poets like Natty Ogli, Jewell-King Speaks, Soyo Vi Zibo, and Afi aren’t just performing they’re building memory, identity, and resistance. They are shaping what it means to be Ghanaian in the 21st century, syllable by syllable. And their work is not “extra”— it is essential.
A Republic is Built in Public. So is Poetry.
The poet doesn’t work behind closed doors. Like the republic, their work is public by design. They carry the weight of truth-telling, the burden of bearing witness, and the courage to say what needs saying even when no one claps. Poets are historians of feeling. They archive our pain and preserve our pride. They make policy personal. When the slogans fade, their words linger.This is public service just without a pension.
Making the Case: Institutionalizing the Poet’s Role
Imagine a Ghana where every district had a resident poet.
Where poets opened parliamentary sessions.
Where the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts Ghana, grants included budgets for performance poetry collectives.
Where every Republic Day featured not just wreaths and brass bands but poems written for the nation, by the nation.
Why not?
We already have the talent. What we need is the will to see poetry as infrastructure, not just inspiration.
The Freedom to Build, The Courage to Speak
Republic Day is not just a celebration of what was won. It’s a reminder of what still needs to be built.
If we are serious about Ghana’s freedom and its future I think we must look again at the voices we consider essential. Not just the economists and engineers, but the poets. The ones who build meaning. Who hold a nation’s memory. Who turn pain into power and silence into service.
The poet, in this republic, is not a luxury.
They are a necessity.
A public servant in rhyme and reason.
Call to Action
On this Republic Day, let’s fund poetry like we fund roads. Let’s honour our poets like we honour our flag-bearers. And let’s remember, the strength of a nation lies not just in its GDP but in the power of its people to speak, feel, and build through words.
Let the poet rise not just on stages, but in the systems.
Let the Republic listen.