Kejetia is a place
where hands meet to feast
In the heart of the city.
Overflowing in milk and honey,
it invites bees from all worlds.
Streets buzzing, filled
with trotro horns that devour ears.
Mates run for travellers,
reluctant and late until buses are geared.
Babies bundle behind mothers’ backs
so, mothers can buy ntoos and gyene,
as cold stores stunt the air
and mighty men
break boxes over long queues,
whilst seated madams
calculate meaty transactions.
Kejetia is a bazaar
where cedis are swallowed.
Be careful
when the traders are too nice;
they could rob you blind.
As you watch
everything sumptuous:
The envious display
of kente, beads, and butter,
the street hawkers screaming
into air and every ear,
‘Yess! Ice-water, Fan Ice, yoghurt!’
buffets of waakye, asana, bofrots,
and lovebirds sharing achumo
and a quench of freshly-cracked coconuts.
Here, you see the homeless, too
sitting under the footbridge,
their calabashes of twenty pesewas, safe from
robbers who wait, eye-red, for when the night is near.
And vigorous market women, excited,
name every passing person ‘customer’—
except the young kayaye
trekking the corners
of the streets
carrying cement pans of items
maybe Koobi, maybe momone
maybe some other burden
with snotty babies at their backs,
the sun, unleashing no mercy on any.
This is the place
where the fittest survive,
fighters thrive,
and businesses revive
for the confident—if they don’t wobble
or die.
It's the place to jaw-jaw
till you win.
Dream
till you wake up alive.
Win it all
from your insatiable lists.
Mildred Nkansah Okrah alias Bohemian Thoughts is a Ghanaian poet whose work moves gently between love, light, and reflection. Rooted in a deep appreciation for human connection, her poetry explores the sacred intersections of faith, the environment, and love in all its forms. Through thoughtful imagery and honest language, Bohemian Thoughts invites readers into conversations that heal, question, and inspire growth. Her writing often draws from faith, nature, and everyday experiences, offering a quiet but powerful reminder of hope and responsibility—to God, to the earth, and to one another. Based in Ghana, Bohemian Thoughts shares words as both art and offering, believing poetry can illuminate dark places and nurture compassion in a restless world. She’s been published in Mind Magazine Vol. 2.
IG: https://www.instagram.com/bohemianthoughts_
Photo by Oswald Yaw El-Saboath: