You can buy this book at the following link (Amazon):

http://www.amazon.com/Knees-Before-These-Mighty-Heavens/dp/1578640660/ref=sr_1_1/103-4983557-2692664?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194300878&sr=8-1

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A Universal Marriage of Peace
*By Akatu Ajonye*
*Monday, November 05, 2007*

Momodu Ceesay, poet and artist creates a unique artistic marriage between
the two callings to deliver a powerful message of peace

Title: On My Knees Before These Mighty Heavens
Author: Momodou Ceesay
Publisher: The Donning Company Publishers, Virginia
Price: Not Stated

Momodou Ceesay's On My Knees Before These Mighty Heavens is a unique
creative experiment. It sets out to join words, lines and stanzas with
figures, shapes and colours in an artistic marriage of poetry and painting.
Interspersed with 34 paintings also by the author, across 99 pages, the book
is rendered as an epic poem divided into nine parts which could pass for
chapters. But they are not designated as such.

Ceesay's key theme is the grim fortunes of Africans in the comity of races.
But after a spirited treatment of the issues confronting the 'mother
continent' and its children, the author fans out to the global stage. The
story is basically a dialogue between man and his Maker. Ceesay, through the
protagonist, Issa Kujabi, whose only co-character is the 'voice of God,'
reflects on the lamentable condition of man, first as an African and then a
human being. In the opening part, he establishes himself as a burden bearer,
an intercessor for the suffering Africans. Pleading for God's attention, he
wonders where else he could turn, after all else have obviously failed.
Where else am I to take this grieved soul of mine? / Where else would anyone
lend an ear? (p.7) To Kujabi's relief and pleasant surprise, 'God' shows up
and a prolonged communion ensues. The man inundates heaven, and the readers'
sensibilities, with descriptions of deprivation, dehumanisation, violence
and many other negative realities that man afflicts fellow man with.

He takes portraits from the experiences of Africans in the homeland: the
severe poverty, hunger and starvation, disease, genocide….And from the
diaspora he highlights the manifestations of racist discrimination and
immigration-related problems. He also mentions certain despicable lifestyles
which black populations in the diaspora are frequently associated with,
including drug addiction and gangsterism. But a ray of hope descends as
Kujabi is 'appointed' as messenger of peace and love to humanity. Promptly
taking on the task, he prescribes the only way forward for fellow men: the
enthronement of 'moral law,' to stamp out the chaos on Planet Earth. He begs
God to send down this new order on the condition that governments, legal
structures, world and international governing bodies / Cannot do so, or do
not wish to do so….(p.81)

The universality of Ceesay's message of peace and harmony finds apt
expression in the artpiece titled The Hand Of God, with the rider: "The door
to me is the same." It shows adherents of some major religions of the world
patronising God who is represented by a gigantic hand whose five fingers
they respectively cling to. This, added to the several quotations from the
Bible and the Koran, give a strong spiritual hue to Ceesay's work.

His poetic style is eclectic. Exploiting the vastness of his subject matter,
he moves swiftly across countries, regions and continents in successive
stanzas. It is with similar ease that he examines the different
circumstances of the social groups within his settings. Ceesay also brings
to bear his observations as a widely travelled person and sojourner in a
number of foreign lands, one of which, incidentally, inspired the book. Yet,
the author remains culturally loyal to his roots. This is evident in the
paintings accompanying the poem. Rich colours, exuberant motifs and other
artistic nuances that characterise African aesthetics can be seen in the
artworks. Also, the name 'Issa Kujabi,' along with those given as his
parents,' effectively peg the fictitious character to the author's Gambian
origin.

Ceesay's theme is familiar, topical and sure to inspire pan-African as well
as humanist sentiments. His style is dramatic and engaging. The most complex
feature of the book is the character Kujabi. Clearly, he is drawn as a
conscientious and forgiving person whom 'God Himself' praises for his
"outpouring of mercy" (p.58). But Ceesay's characterisation conceals who the
very outspoken character 'really is.' The mindset, generation or real-life
social group his poetic voice speaks for is left to a guess. Perhaps the
author-artist chose the open-ended approach of abstractionists. However, he
has effectively summarised and documented crucial and sensitive aspects of
African cum human experience in a joint literary and pictorial presentation.
Above all, he spreads the message of hope that things can possibly be
different and better.

Momodou Ceesay was born in Banjul, in The Gambia in 1945. He studied in the
US and France, majoring in Languages. He has been privileged to read this
work to big global audiences such as the Peoples Forum of the Commonwealth
Heads of State meeting. Also an active artist, he has a sizeable number of
exhibition credits and his works are in corporate and private collections
around the world.

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