How Tall Is #thattallguy? Poem by Aba Radical

How tall is #ThatTallGuy?

Dear Papa Kwasi, I'm sorry I forgot
The date of today
Because of the difficulty in keeping numbers in my thoughts
But once I remembered this beloved day of May
I quickly looked for a pen which I got
And began to poetically release rhymes of gay
I began to jot
About your height of which we say
Is the tallest of any sort!

How can this be said without sounding like a lie?
How can it be performed without letting out too much sigh?
How will this be heard if you are coming from a mile?
How can this be summarized to avoid a pile?
Of how good he is and avoid the use of a file?
But it's now or never, it's do or die!

I first met him at ‘G.I.J' freedom center
Should you come across him at ‘G.I.J's computerized cafeteria
You would realize that he has to bow before he will enter
With him you do not have to meet a certain criteria
So whether you are from, Sodom and Gomorrah,
‘Zongo', masala chi or Liberia
He go show you love more than Victoria
That guy is taller than the lecturer
But I tell you that he is definitely not the school Rector

There is a long hand around my neck
And I can feel biceps touching my hair
There is an open sky above my head
With his eyes directly fixed on me
I mean the real me
And no one else sees it

There is more to him
Than his significant height
Which is obviously longer than a Methodist Hymn
Alongside the position of his head sited like air amidst a kite
Beyond his height
Is a man with insight

He is extremely visionary
No jokes like how kids take in confectionery
In the ring of problems he will fight
Not losing even an ounce of focus
Moving straight to the point, no intermediary
He is real, original, authentic not low cost
With him you are always the beneficiary
Not problematic like the farm with locust

Beyond the spectacles of many is madness
But beyond his height is pure kindness
Care is his middle name- it blows your pain away like wonders
That May offspring, #ThatTallGuy
He is one of a kind; he is one in a zillion
He is visionary like Kantanka
He has a stronger mind like the Black Panther
Don't be surprised that only he can qualify for Wakanda
With a heart bigger than the popularity of the song Akwaaba
‘w'ahu sɛ' you are shocked, ‘sɛ m'anka a anka'
‘ɛyɛ wo sɛ ɔgyina hɔ tenten kwa! ‘
‘Nanso today, mɛ yɛ dede', I will say all ‘me mma ɛbi mpo nka'

So when we separate the men from the boys
He is neither ‘trotro' nor taxi, he is Rolls Royce
He means business, forget the children's toys
If he comes into your life, my brother then rejoice
Because in the whole of G.I.J I never found anyone kinder
His heart unlike Kumi Guitar is not one meter
It's so much bigger and wider
He is obviously not Solomon, not the shrewdest but wiser

He speaks a lot of English
But giving up is not his language, its gibberish
He believes with focus there is a lot one can accomplish
So even if you are rusty he helps you polish
When I say "I'm thinking of"
He say's "you must"
And when I ask why he put me on the spot
He says charmingly "I believe in you"
That is so rare, not everybody does that

He is the confidence without ego
A lover of life more than Tigo
Before he will see you on the big screens
He will help you chase your dreams
And take no credit for it, no screams
He is a really cool, fun guy
But if he teases you my, sister just fly
But it's all good, it's part of the friendship tie

His friendship is simply amazing
Like he seeing the pain behind your smile
The scream in your silence
The heat in your coldness
The real you behind the makeup
Moving from messed up to blessed up
From zero to hero
Or nothing to something
He can differentiate water from the tears even if you cry as you stand in the rain
Because what is beyond his height is longer than a train
Know that with him what you get is never what you saw
That six feet and four inches is actually more than what you think
I'm stubborn and insensitive sometimes but he is still there
Not all of the time but he still is and that's the meaning of friendship

He is six feet and four inches tall
But never look at only that and think you've seen it all
Let me tell you there is just so much more
So with what I have written so far, your intention
Is to hear me say the "I love you" confession
Then among some girls I have caused confusion
I become as annoying to them as their G.I.J tuition
But I won't mind them, total rejection
Because our inner talks are more powerful, no contention.

Happy birthday Kwasi Nimo Jnr…
I personally mean this but no visible strings attached.

NB: ‘G.I.J'- Ghana Institute of Journalism
‘Zongo- slum
‘w'ahu sɛ'-have you seen that
‘sɛ m'anka a anka'- if I had not said it
‘ɛyɛ wo sɛ ɔgyina hɔ tenten kwa! ‘- you think he is just tall
‘Nanso today, mɛ yɛ dede'- but today I will shout
‘me mma ɛbi mpo nka'- I won't leave anything out
‘trotro'- mini bus

29/05/18p8

…Inspired by Kwasi Nimo Jnr…

Aba Radical
The Photographer of Thoughts
Fb: Mercy Aba Blankson
Twitter: @aba radical
IG: Aba Radical
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