Apae (Praise Poem) for Dede Ayew’s 2010 World Cup Excellence

*By Akadu Ntiriwa Mensema, Ph. D.

So many big names

African big names

Celebrated names

Heralded 2010 World Cup

But only Dede Ayew arrived

Patrioting a bouquet of hope

Persuasive

Potent

Poignant

Poised

Praise-worthy

Packaged in self-assuredness

Of elegance in soccer erudition

With no inferiority meltdown

Like black ice before a white sun

He stood his African grounds

Proud

Ebullient in spirit

Proud to be a Ghanaian

Radiant in carrying our flag

With no troubling sign of blackness

With no troubling sign of inferiority

Dede Ayew is a master of his craft

Dazzling craftsmanship

Resplendent in his jersey

Of luminous Black Star of Africa

Dede’s incandescent movements

Illuminate the field of play

His symphonies of movements

Mesmerize the field of play

Dede Ayew is excellence

Epitome of excellence

Dede the moment of excellence

Of what we can do

Of what we should do

Of what we must do

Of what Ghana needs

Of what Africa needs

Exemplary commitment

Loyalty

Devotion

Hard work

Altruism

Teamwork

Dying a little for Ghana

To brighten up Ghana

In the horizon of nations

Making Africans proud

From the end of the Sahara

To the source of the Firaw (Volta)

From the end of the Kalahari

To the source of the Zambezi

Dede Ayew son of the maestro

He is an epitome of fearlessness

Able to hold his hope

Able to caress inspiration

Thinks he can be the best

Thinks he is the best

Shows he is the best

And he is the best

Dede Ayew plays with his heart

Animated, inspired

Animation in undefined space

Inspiration in defined space

Forces opponents to chase mirages

Like Saharan elusive mirages

Dede is as elusive as the wind

As bold as the sun on a sunny day

As strong as an Odum tree

Dede Ayew shows steely excellence

Digitalized feet of inspiration

Africanizing sparkling hope

Birthing pan-African hope

Filmic signification of excellence

Inspiring fountain of hope

Hungry with a sense of purpose

Ah! Watershed of pan-African doable

High-spirited lively dynamo

Of ninety-minutes of hard work

With his heart cheering for Ghana

With his soul for Ghana

Hoping for Ghana

Dying for Ghana

Dede Ayew arrived

Epitome of excellence

Worthy of emulation

Dede you are a fountain of hope

Ghanaians say thanks a lot

Africans say thanks a lot

*Akadu N. Mensema, Ph. D., is a nationalist Denkyira beauty. She is a trained oral

historian cum sociologist and Professor in the USA. She lives in Pennsylvania with

her great mentor and teaches Africa-area studies at a college in Maryland. In her

pastime, she writes what critics have called “populist hyperbolic, satirical”

poetry. She can be reached at akadumensema@yahoo.com