I was rather intrigued when I saw the words Happy Birthday 'The Poet' on a friends blackberry display message. I enquired further only for her to tell me her friend Dapo is rather romantic and writes poetry. As you would all have gathered by now thats music to my ears. I decided to pursue the intrigue and this blog post is a result of my findings….
Dapo Macaulay holds a masters in Political advocacy and campaigning and is an account Director at the Rosabel Leo Burnett, a leading advertising agency in Nigeria. A self taught photographer, Dapo fell in love with art and photography whilst living in Baltimore, Maryland. He is also a poet with a passion for the sea and this reflects in his work. He has shared with me some of his poetry and photography, enjoy.
I am…
I am West African
An inkwell living on the tip of a quill
Ancestral, legendary, unbreakable
I am the crude oil that fuels the earth
A diamond in the rough
A black star with Ivory for teeth
I am the distance poetry can go
A historian, philosopher, storyteller
I am the musician
Whose music brings the gods to their feet
An artist above any other
A warrior with eternity as my culture
I am black coffee all sugar no cream
Did I mention I am West African?
Adedapo Anthony Macaulay
© 2002
***
EVEN GEOGRAPHY CAN BE SEXY!
The Girl from Rio!
I want her like a box of chocolate
European chocolate
Devouring her with the bliss
North America enjoys its liberty
Tasting her richness
Like the earth of Africa
Humming to the rhythm of
South America’s Amazon River
Dancing!
Filled with an inner peace
Asia’s Buddha teaches
Adedapo Anthony Macaulay
© 2006
***
July’s Eve
Sky blue and burnt orange
Painted the horizon this evening
A magnificent work of art
Stretching the wall of heaven
Beautifying the home of man
The wind was kind and gentle
Paying homage to peace in its tranquility
Telling a tale of its August presence
Birds danced from tree to tree
Embracing the comfort of mother natures architectural splendor
Entertaining me with sweet harmony
Of orchestrated chirps in crescendo
Conducted by God
AH!
Yet in the perfect creation of this phenomenon
I sit still
Wondering why we seek contentment
Still.
Adedapo Anthony Macaulay
© 2003
Mother’s Love
As certain as the sun
That rises in the east
To set in the west
So that night may come
And day may rest
As certain as justice
That makes the trees green
And butterflies flutter
Bringing sweet warmth of lasting memories
To the hearts of those
To whom it has been served
As certain as thunder
That makes you run for cover
Complimented by a bolt of lightning
To tell you the rain is coming
This is how certain
The love of my mother
Has, is and will always be for me
Adedapo Anthony Macaulay
© 2000
***
IIhoursinNewYorkCity
New York, New York at last
Come to find out
It was absolutely nothing
To write home about
Well that’s a lie
I am writing aren’t I
The New Yorkers
In my two hours of observation
Are obsessed with two things
STARBUCKS & I f**king PODS
Eko o gba gbere for real
People here are impatient I tell
Perhaps this virtue has died and gone to hell
I take that back
There was one who did steal my heart
I saw liberty from a distance
Her wounds not yet healed
But her torch still shone
As bright as a star
And who dubbed this town
The centre of fashion
A hub nub for clothier’s maybe
I have seen before all they have to give
It’s nothing new at least not for me
I may come back again someday
To this big old apple tree
And when next I do venture
I will inspect every branch and every leaf
New York, New York at last
Come to find out
It was absolutely nothing
To write home about
Well that’s a lie
I wrote didn’t I
Adedapo Anthony Macaulay © 2005
***
Autumn Has Come
Autumn has come
And my work here is done
I will gather the fruits of my labour - head south
To escape winters burn
Shorter days will bring cooler nights
Squirrels will build bank of acorn delight
Ducks and Geese will catch the streamline flight
Hoping they don’t grace
The hunters pot of rice
I am sure
I will miss its magnificence
Ignited in eloquent hue
Trees dressed in full autumn regalia
Under the gilded moon
Well “all that’s well ends well”
My time here I hold so dear
But for now it’s back to Nigeria
Where the sun is always near
Adedapo Anthony Macaulay
© 2006
***
No.84
My grandfather built this house
This magnificent house
That sits in grand circles
Resting on the bank of the Atlantic
On an island called Victoria
It has five bedrooms
Each its own master
Serving three generations
Thus far
White & Grey
They painted this lair
With three living rooms
The size of 2 stadia
Copper pots and silver pans
Shimmer in the light
Reflecting off the kitchen fan
This is the playground of my childhood
The voice of my education
My party of friends
The burrow of la familial
Wouldn’t you rather live with us?
Adedapo Anthony Macaulay
© 2008
I am inspired!
by Adedapo A. Macaulay
Imagine a world with no change, where everything remains the same, where we act like our parents and them like there's...Not a pretty sight is it?
Change is what makes every generation different from the last, presiding and forthcoming one and Lagos has changed : For the better of course
We are in a renaissance age, there is a cultural movement that compels one to think, to act, to be ever so more assertive of their identity, to realize who they are and shape whom they want to be and how they want the world to perceive them.
The most fundamental evolution in today's innovative landscape is the shift from regurgitating western art forms (whatever they maybe ) to digesting the single reality that there is nothing wrong with our work and that what we should be trying to do is move our art and craft up the global value chain.
Lagos is playful and 'play' is an important element in culture and society. Lagos is intriguing and the single concept behind intrigue is that it creates buzz. Lagos is contagious and that is because of its cultural significance. Living in this city makes you want to be part of a real pop culture movement. It makes you tinker with all the possibilities that there are whilst on a quest to discover this thing in you that is completely unique.
I am inspired by all that is around me, from the waterways of the five-cowry-creek to the traffic congestion on Eko bridge. Poverty makes for an eye sore yet one is compelled to document it and lend it to history so that we can never claim that we didn't see it. I am inspired by the laughter of children, innocent little creatures full of life and want, careless and free. I am excited by the festivals of our fathers and those before them like the Eyo festival they bid me take my place amongst them and i must tell their stories. I am inspired be you because you are me and all my desires.
As time goes on, we must remain assertive and optimistic, we must find new ways to tell our story and present the best of Lagos/Nigeria in terms of our people products and potentials, we must go in search of uncharted territories and need to experiment with new ideas cannot be understated in a city in full transformation where the rules are been rewritten and where the latest and newest technology is setting the stage. In such a context adapting to change is the only way forward!