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