Prophet, Tell Us Poem by Henry Nii Ayi Cobblah

Ok, When you come,
So to state the obvious,
Not proclaiming our fall but begging us
In God’s name to have self-pity,

Do spare us all word of the weapons, their force and range,
The so to see and called visions,
Which we as men will not see
Unable to fear what is too strange.

Nor shall you scare us with talk of the death and bad
How should we dream of this place without us? —heaven
The sun mere fire, the leaves untroubled about us, -hell
A stone look on the stone’s face?

Speak of the world’s own change. Though we cannot see
Of an undreamt thing, we know to our attitude
How to seperate the good from the bad
How the view alters. We could believe,

If you told us so, we will guide our lones
Into perfect shade, grown perfectly shy,
Into the fear of the Lord
And work as in his will and purpose

These things in which we have seen ourselves and spoken?
Ask us, prophet, how we shall call them visions
Our ways to which we manifest to all
And the percieved glory ever after

In which we have said our love and the clean
Children of zion from daugters of Eve
The feeble Adam and the canning snake
And all we mean or wish to mean.

Ask us, ask us whether we are ready for his coming?
Our hearts shall fail us; come demanding our spirit
Whether there shall be lukewarm or long standing
When await us the fire of doom and the glory with him