Every July

The Rev. A. S. Akpan
Dad passed away on first of July, 1995,
That's twenty six years too soon.
He taught me to never give up on my talent.

Every  first day of July

A riot of memories flutter to life,

Like a bust of sunshine.

I reminisce of the good old times

You used to spark causal smiles

That rose up to glisten in my eyes.

Too young n' dumb

To foresee the cruel surprise,

That far too soon you'd be gone

And I'll be down to eulogize,

To acknowledge the rule,

'It's appointed once to die,'

Guess I've been schooled.

This first of July

I dare to touch the sky,

To hold your hands in mine

And force estranged hearts to reunite.

Cause every once in a while

Impossible things bend n' slide

So I'm not gon' cry

I'ma take these tears for a ride

And let the love you showed me

Shoot me into that peace

That passes all understanding

And translate my reminisce

So that when I think of you

And the things you used to do,

I find strength to pull through.

Akpan

Phenomenal Man

My Father: The Phenomenal Man;
husband, father, uncle, brother, grandfather

I like to think of you as my very own superhero,

As the one who had my back from ground zero.

You had a charm about you it made you a special person;

A quality that set the strobe light on you lost in a crowd.

I’d love to hear the timbre of your voice while I give a listen;

The man I lost dishing the man I am the lowdown.

You commanded respect so crystal folks perceived it.

You were a gift to this world and I only wish they knew it.

I’ve always wondered what it takes

To stamp a foot in the prints you left behind.

It never fails to amaze me how you raised the stakes

When you presented the gift of your champion mind,

You had the inbuilt timing which made your moves flawless.

You knew the right words and the fact made me speechless.

You set a standard from which a young dream was launched.

You didn’t assert perfection but you gave it all your best shot.

Akpan