Night Time on Independence Ave Street.

Sigh!
Lights are on again!
Its been off for days
I guess, it’s a norm now
In this night time calm everywhere is lively.

Along the side walks ,people hang around.
The Broken street lamps and crooked traffic lights, Its been so for ages.
And in this euphoric may night we live for the moments.

The toss is won the battle is on
Five on each half the atmosphere is tensed
Folks lined up for battle….

Armed with upheld moves
And many legendary stunts
Let the war begin..atomic moves to kill
And crazy styles to be unleashed
Couples scurry hand-in-hand underneath the orange street lights.

Children stand on stools to get a clear view .
Midgets fidgets their hands in front rows,
The grounds are dusty stakes are high.

I stand on the forecourt watching break dancers In turns of phase casting from in street to out street …And bougie kings with an opening from the hiplifers.

Ah and there comes busting bubbles boys
Dancing in blue jeans masked with bandanas
Joined by the no limit crew.
And there comes Sticks breaking bones,
Koddy wasn’t on the bill but he’s here to grace the show .

All moments captured,
In blacks and in whites.
And i still stand and watch In colour and in light ,the Magic night time on independence ave street .
ve street .

photo coutersy of Abbass Ismail “Blitz and the Bikers photo shoot at James Town ,Accra”

Someday In Ghana.

Coasting the white beaches of  the prampram listening to kabutey, while the sun shines in ambient virtue to the skyscrapers on the savannah and beach houses on the labadi .

Petrichor fills the air blessing the daylight and metamorphosing the architecture of the wonderful brick town houses in Nima and modern multi -storey apartments in Ashaiman.

I saw the hyper roads with six lane traffic busting with nano and luxury Ghanaian-made vehicles and raised my head to the sound of supersonic planes and private jets in the deep blue skies.

Following the River Densu ,i took a stroll through aburi gardens ,prayed at the ahenfie, sojourned at larabanga and celebrated the history of Africa at the black star square.

Rode on a speedboat on the mighty odo river and sped off in a kantaka 4wheeler doing 129kmph on the freeway to kakum. Spoke Ewe and danced “azonto” in the golden kente and dazzling ahenema .

Feast on Jollof and fufu, took rest at the Rattray park and a walk along the bosomtwe , this buoyant lake like a gentle dream creating serenity in the surrounding environs.

Sat by the fire side with the natives and told tales of ananse and the emerging of the tribes. Joined by the natives exploring the suburbs of the  western coast, littered with remnants of a decaying brutal past.

Castles and forts upon rocks on high yet we pride ourselves in our unique tradition. Aboakyir festival! we went deer hunting ,kenkey in  abundance, fante fante sealed the night .

Sailing on the Volta, we fished for tilapia and ate banku at ada. A day at mole national park,the roar of the lions scared me to the core, my heart even skipped a beat jeez i nearly lost my Wits.

A night time on 25 independence avenue street, with likes of Griffiths and bikers, wiyala and the hiplifers, Bisola and flowdey reaffirming poetry, mutombo’s and Kay’s spoken word and wulomei’s ever enduring indigenous Ga melodies.A nightlife so enchanted i never wanted to see the rise of the sun .

The morning opens with peril and underground trains convey people to their various destinations I joined aboard to the twin city. The dreamlike city of canals with islands on lakes and rivers.

Traversing the suburbs of the twin city,I toured famous market circle and petronas city and took a night rest at nzulenzu’s exotic floating hotels. Serenity was at it’s best and euphoria was carved everywhere from children’s laughter to dazzling glow fishes in the river .

A flight back to Accra and day through old township of James town with it’s busy fish port and 18th century architecture aligned with modern court houses along the coast and traditional buildings inbetween them.

Getting late I joined a shuttle home already dozing off in my seat after a long week trip throughout Ghana.

Last stop someone ,Shouted ! Sigh!  I slept in the Trotro again and missed my bus stop .its gonna be a long walk back home.

I stepped off the bus onto the sidewalk, reaffirmed that the vividity of my dream and reality of my imaginations will manifest someday in Ghana

One day we will wake up and not recognise our own neighbourhood .

Yeah One day we will arrive at that someday.

Photo credit :kwaku kyere.

Thanks to Ms Anarfi for the proof read.

Ode To Kente

Coloured checkered patterns
Dashing vibrant colours
Hand woven cloth strips
Dazzling geometric shapes
Characterised weft designs
Vivid eye appealing texture
Ghana’s national cloth
Royals favourite outfit
From coast of western Africa
An indigenous local brand
Handed from Ages to Ages
Maiden style left intact
Renowned across borders
for its alluring tapestry marvels
Its cherished history staggers
Our obroni folks adore it
Oh yes Africans just love it.
So get a piece of kente that befit
with its uniquely native patterns
And lets celebrate and project
Our heritage our culture our tradition.
This is Ghana’s premium kente
The Golden cloth from the midlands.