Happy New Year.

I'm glad and grateful to God that he made it possible for us to see yet another year. Imagine the number of people who would have loved to see this year and are not opportuned to. Wow, its such a priviledge to be alive-no doubt. My prayer is that God will continue to keep us. Have a wonderful year ahead. out

FREE THYSELF (the will of man)


It's been 200 years since the British goverment abolished the trade in African slaves. 200 years on, has much changed yet? Talking about freedom, yes Africans are free. But according to Reverend Jesse Jackson, "what we fought for is not freedom, what we fought for is equality". As opposed to freedom, the idea of equality goes further than having a contitutional right to be a free man who can vote and excercise other rights given. The idea of equality puts at the fore, a persons primary characteristics as a MAN and treats him as such. Consequently, whether you are black, white or yellow, everyone has equal chances to succeed. Without doubt this ideal is not yet in place but we have made progress without doubt. And things can only get better if we keep fighting the good fight in our bid for equality. I'm out.

POETRY


I AM A WILL
Dedicated to the abolitionist William Wilberforce

I am a will
I am a force
I am the will that makes the force, the force
The ear that list, that list, that listens
To the shrill cry of the bound ones
A cry that pierce the ear like a Roman spear
A cry to sooth an anguished soul

Marauders horde liners with soles
Plunging hearts, bruised backs
A Vague trail on the waterbed
Unsure and unconvinced
If a holiday was appropriate to the other side
Or a bad dream that will soon end

The night and her star fell with gloom
Homing birds nestle in far flung nests
Crickets chirp in the undergrowth afar
Seagulls slide easy and free beneath
But hapless warriors sardined forlornly in the underbelly
To listen unto death songs


The groans, the moans, the gnashing of teeth
The bleeding, the dancing on thorns,
And the wordless hum reminded us
We are free, that we ones were at least
And would again be
Usher in our profound God-given right

Both with words and sight
we saw a glory, a glory for all
a glory, yea a glory without cremation
to set all men on an equal pedestal
it made us fight hard and more

We died to ourselves,
But to our goal, we will forever live
Secure a future that can’t be stirred
Neon eyed gods beset us
Our world betrayed us
And our shade, though, light became a burden to us

And listen from the underbellies
Clanging daggers, uprising in city corners
That saw jackal teeth in dark flesh
And a henchman knocks on the door mesh
The twins chase us
They still chase us
They still horde us
You are still chasing us




WHAT SHALL WE DO AT A TIME LIKE THIS?

Shall we sing a song and celebrate?
Clap our hands and strut our behinds?
Jump and dance till our bosoms complain
Bruise our toe as we relish a time like this
5 A time, a vassary of away time ago of a passing law

Shall we make an alter, burn an offering
Wear Afric attire made in cowry to dance?
Or shall we play Wilberforce’s heartache
And the homesick noir on a medieval set
10 To remember our duped comrades

Shall we drink and toast—western styleế
Smiling at cocktails with the social crème
Bow tied, starched khaki and an Anglo-Saxon tongue to go
Taking photo with our western wife and blended child
15 Horrors of middle passage—a comic show?

Shall the face be screwed and fist clenched
Teeth tongue tied today throughout
Shall all else be to blame and us the saint
A bout of cursing, mebbe to win our blended child some foe
20 Cast our soul that seek awareness to eternal mystification

Shall we motion for recompense for inhumanity and bigotry?
Teach our blended kid the secrets multiplication and multitudes
Teach our kids on pantheism and the merciful God
And the guile that today drone in the ear like operation trident
25 To buffer the poor blended child from self destruction

What would a loved child do at a time like this?
Shall he pray or sing and give thanksgiving alms?
Be merry knowing all is well.
What shall an unloved child do at a time this like?
30 Love or unloved, what shall we do at a time like this?

Gbenga Diran Afolabi © 2007




I AM GREAT BECAUSE I SERVE


I can be great because I’m a free man
I am great because I’m a positive man
I can be great because I can learn
I am great because I learn always
I can be great because I can forgive
I am great because I forgive and let go
I can be great because I can focus
I am great because I am focused on great things
I can be great because I can change the world for the better
I am great because I change my world for the better
I can be great because I can serve
I am great because I serve
I can be great with breathe in me
I can be great with you with me
I am great because I serve.


© 2007 GBENGA DIRAN AFOLABI

Here is me and a couple of my framed pictures in my room. ciao

Hundreds of Manchester people gathered in the AMC cinema halls when frontline activist and leader, Rev. Jesse Jackson visited the city. A key purpose of the event is to support the commemorate the abolition of the slave trade and to highlight the economic contribution of Black and Minority ethnic communities in the UK. Leading the crowd with his famous lines ‘I am somebody’, Jackson seems to have a great effect on everyone. For many, he remains in a league of fearless men who voice out in the face of tyranny. Operation Black Vote as the theme of his visit goes, is aimed at encouraging black people about the importance of their votes. Fearless Courageous Rev Jesse Jackson has always been in the struggle for equality (as opposed to freedom). According to him what was fought for was not freedom, it was equality, and it is sad that black people are not yet been treated equally with white people. He spoke about the evils of slavery and commended the great works done by our ‘founding fathers’ for their struggles. His struggle alongside Dr Martin Luther King Jr helped free Rosa Park and marked the beginning of the American apartheid. He spoke against all forms of violence, especially the killings amongst youth that is like getting rife. Though, a strong advocate for peace, Jackson is a tough man who believes in concious action to cause positive change and this is what he advocates wherever he goes.

NAYO - AFRICAN GIRL

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The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Glynn Evans and Me 20th May 2007

Meeting the Mayor

When I woke up on this day, it didn't occur to me that I'd be a guest at the Mayor of Manchester's party. You can imagine my excitement when after the special service at the manchester cathedral, I was invited to attend a reception in honour of the Mayor at the town hall. It was parked with nicely dressed people and the Mayor was at the entrance welcoming people in. There was food and drink for all (more than I'd ever seen). Moments later, the Mayor addressed an attentive audience. My first impression was that he is a man with a great heart-albeit an emotional one. I got to talk to him, had my photo taken with him, I also took some great shots of him. He even joked that I take a photo of his chin alone. Such a great man, wish all leader would be like him. He is very approachable, understanding and a great lover of kids. He is genuine and hardly a politician, you simply could tell.

ASEWA

Where are my sons?
Where are my sons?
Where are the sons of Asewa?
I, Asewa the great warrior
Husband and father to many
Who crush a lion with hands-bear?

My friend, my friend
Tell me, please where my sons are
I know you are great
You are the greatest albino of the open sea
Fire eyes, fire mouth
You conquer many lands
Your fear now is mine

Where are my sons?
Where are my sons?
The sons of my youthful groin
My feet in sinks in the red soil
I age and need a cloth to cover me
My backcloth is ragged
Tattered as the baobab leaf

Tell me where my sons are
Let dusk come near
Let chicken home to roost
My sons strangely wander
Let them fall into me
Into the strong arm of Asewa

A Dane-gun is no use to a weak arm
Need I see a scraggy face in a mirror?
That the flesh of my gut lay far far
In Navado, a great sea barn
The son of Asewa
My flesh and my blood

A VERSION OF PICCADILLY, MANCHESTER YOU'VE NEVER SEEN UNITILL NOW

DMX PRAISES JESUS. UHN HALLELUYAH. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN.

I love this game
Its so cool...
There isn't much room for mistakes
This makes it even cooler
Cos then, you're concious, every time
You cannot afford to o v e r s t r e t c h your chances
Well you can, if you so choose.
You bear the consequences

Endless opportunities, endless possibilities.

Its large too, larger than uhm...uhm

Actually, it cannot be larger than that...
Cos it is uhn
And of course you cannot be larger than You
Or can you?
I Love Life.
It's the best game.
For all Players, Young or old.
Every player must give their best shot.
or choose not to...
Cos, of course, every player bear the consequences.
Of their actions.
PLAY SAFE.

DEDICATED TO ALL HUMAN SPECIES (FOR HIV/AIDS AWARENESS)

When I took this picture, i was only experimenting with the F-stops on my canon EOS 4oo digital camera. After minor alterations courtesy of Mr Photoshop, this stunning scene is what came out. WOW!

My Diary

My Diary

hi lamide, nice name but not so nice blog, you need to manage it more. looking forward to an interesting blog soon. check me on http://zerezoya.blogspot.com

Contributors needed

Budding photographers can send their photographs and they will be review and published on this page. zerezoya@yahoo.com

MANCAT Nichols Hyde Road, Manchester, England. (c) Gbenga Afolabi

One God (c) 2007 Gbenga Afolabi

Tunde in concert mancheter lowry (c) 2007 Gbenga Afolabi

The Bridge near the Manchester Lowry (c) 2007 Gbenga Afolabi