On October 25th 2012, poet Michael Kweku Kesse Somuah was awarded the National Youth Achievers Award (NYAA) by His Excellency President John Mahama.
Every year the president of Ghana recognizes the contribution of youth in various areas of endeavor, to acknowledge the hard work among those age 15- 35 and to build the pride and leadership of the next generation.
For the editors of Tuck, this is especially exciting as we love to see the indie artists we promote, succeed and garner recognition for their talent. Below are photos of the event, links to articles detailing the ceremony and a poem by Michael that appeared in Tuck in December of last year. Congratulations Michael, we are exceptionally proud of your success and are honoured to be able to share your work with our readers.
Links for the award ceremony: Peace FM online
National Youth Achievers Award
*Photos courtesy Michael Kweku Kesse Somuah
I AM ENTITLED
By
I am just like a little child
who yearns for candies
‘Coz that is where her pleasure lies
I am just like the dog
who growls at the sight of bone
‘Coz its delight is in the marrow and playful bite
I am just like the sun and moon
Of the natural-
‘Coz they are not controlled by artificial muscles
“I am just myself of an art
Of a destined journey,
Genesis by the heavens
‘Coz I have one life, one breath,
passionately, to do poetry”.
And again,
I am the sea of salt poised to teach Peace.
Dearest dearest Val, I am humbled , mesmerized, with teary eyes and full of overt pride for this unique feature. I am out of words and highly honored. To you Val, You made it happen and without you, nothing would have made sense. This award is to us, tuck community and the little child who thinks all hope is gone. God bless you....
You have achieved something important Michael and we are all very proud of you here at Tuck. You mention 'the little child who thinks all hope is gone' and indeed it is this little child that matters most on this planet, no matter where they live. Art in all its manifestations will set a soul free and this is the entire reason Tuck exists. You are a poet Michael and it is you who made it happen with your talent and persistence, never forget this.