( Appreciation of Poetry in Verses. Supporting UN. SDG.4)

I am as I am Birthed before the 
universe’s birth— Defined, undefined 
Refined, redefined... 

I am as I am 

I am the voice of emotion 
Voice of thoughts 
Voice of ideas —scattered & bundled... 

I am the portrait of the seen 
& the unseen! 

I am as I am 

I am rhythmic, I am not rhythmic 
I am prosaic, I am not prosaic I am 
systemic, I am not systemic 

I am as I am 

I am the word I am the spirit of the word 
I am the soul of life & of the world— I 
am the world! 

I am as I am I was 
before I am now I will 
be to come... 

I am as I am 
Birthed before the universe 
Living with the universe Living 
beyond the universe— I am the 
universe! 
I am as I am— I am deep, I am not deep I 
am ambiguous, I am not ambiguous... I 
am what you make of me 

You understand me Yet, you struggle to 
understand me... 

You find me wise, 
     You find me stupid 
You find me complex, 
     You find me simple 
You find me ugly, 
     You find me beautiful 

But still, I am as I am— 
Birthed Before the universe’s 
birth, Defined, undefined 
Refined, redefined... 

I am as I am 

I am cosmopolitan; Dying, rising, clothing, 
unclothing, Exciting, boring, teaching 
Confusing, protesting, praising, preaching... 

I am what you like I am what you do not 
like I am as I am I am what I am; I am 
the soul of life... 

I am poetry! 

By Oswald Okaitei
(March, 2018 and revised in February 2020) 

Oswald Okaitei is a multi-award winning young Ghanaian poet, spoken word artiste and a playwright. He is currently a World Poetry Director in Ghana and has eight poetry collections to his credit. As one of the finest and promising fresh breaths to poetry spoken word, he has shared performing platforms with poetry /spoken word legends as Prof. Atukwei Okai, Prof. Kofi Anyidoho, Muta Baruka, Rocky Dawuni, among others. He is 
noted to be transforming classical poems into stage drama having stringed different-themed poems of Prof. Lade Wosornu, Prof. Kofi Awoonor, Prof. Kofi Anyidoho and Dr. Mawuli Adjei to the admiration of several audiences. Oswald represented Ghana at the 2016 Storymoja Festival in Kenya and Babishai Poetry Festival in Uganada. In 2016, he was adjudged the Pan-African Poet/Spoken word artiste in Ghana.