The collection of 45 poems is Mathew Takwi’s attempt to fortify moral and ethical values in society.

The society of late has witnessed the prevalence of social disproportions. Unfortunately, such standards are being accepted as a way of life. Corruption, violence, discrimination, terror, horror, poverty, swindling, hatred, exploitation, criminality, dictatorship, and disregard for God are just a few to mention. Many persons in governance and even in the churches are equally in the temptation of embodying such ills.

It is in this backdrop that Mathew Takwi, half a dozen times award-winning poet, has penned his new publication titled ‘Messing Manners’. It is a projection of the filth that is turning the society upside down today. The emeritus Professor Kashim Ibrahim Tala finds the book “as written in terseness, sardonic humour, and a world of suggestive imagery”.

During the launch of the collection of 45 poems ‘Messing Manners’ recently at the CNPS hall in Buea, Dr. Andrew Ngeh of the University of Buea, in his review, praised the approach used by Takwi to present the various societal ills. He admired Takwi’s faith in God as creator through poems like, ‘Circle me’, ‘l know’, and “Easter Sunday”. Dr Ngeh dwelled on one of the poems, ‘When Women Decide’.

Quoting earlier works and history, the reviewer affirmed that society has gone off-course and requires women to help bring it back to the rails “even if it means just depriving men of sex”. He pointed out that on several occasions the women have risen like one to say no to some societal ills like in the early 1990s with the “Takembeng” in Bamenda.

The reviewer drew the attention of the participants on the ills ravaging society. He questioned: “who shall clean the mess presented by Takwi?” The various speakers at the book launch opined that ‘Messing Manners’ is a stitch in time.

The chair of the book launch, Mgr Immanuel Banlanjo Bushu, Bishop of Buea, said writing has been proven to be a gift from God to the Poet, Mathew Takwi. “He is actually impacting lives and humanity through his poems which continue to decry inhumane acts in society,” he said.

To Njie Kale, Mathew Takwi’s ‘Messing Manners’ is a strong sarcasm that seeks to explore all facets of human society, castigating vices and glorifying virtues with a passionate touch on religion, romance and nostalgia. He finds it an invaluable handiwork and sensitive contribution aimed at redeeming society from the claws of political bigotry, hypocrisy and moral depravity.