Dead Lions Don't Roar: A Collection Of Poetic Wisdom For The Discerning by Author Tolu’ A. Akinyemi
Reviewed by Realistic Poetry International
There are those in the world who fight without cause, mindlessly, severely confounded by the thick, cloudy, smoke and mirrors of our shady world and society, and there are those, who instead, fight with purpose, sagaciously, sharing and spreading wisdom from experience, humbly, to enlighten the spirit and inspire the heart.
Author Tolu’ A. Akinyemi firmly stands on the ground of righteousness, faithful in God and led by the Almighty to use the talents and gifts endowed to him as he lives, which he especially encourages others to do as well in this perceptive collection of poetry that includes poems like parables, far from ‘skin-deep,’ or in other words, superficial, like the featured poem, “Attitude Is Beauty.”
Typically associated with aesthetics and the ‘exterior’ appearance of people, objects, places, or things, sometimes our human eyes cannot seem to help but admire the exquisiteness of certain scenes, people, and features, so much, there are times where we are blinded by an outward appearance or deceived by the way someone or something looks!
This poem reminds us of this truth and says that, firstly, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’and is only ‘an allusion to justify our choices.’ The poem furthermore explains, in simple language, that without the attitude to complement, beauty is merely a facade that does nothing but stir up a disaster!
Underwhelmed by shallowness, it will be extremely difficult to pull the wool over his eyes with his modest, discerning spirit, and natural inclination to seek good, despite the sacrifice or reward at hand, unlike some of the most respectable leaders of our world, such as politicians. These are people who instead, he feels should be described more like, ‘thieves,’ in his poem,‘The Thieving Politician,’ who ‘splash around’ looted funds and purposely turn a blind eye to destructive systematic infrastructures due to their own selfish, gluttonous desires.
Clearly, Akinyemi opposes the conduct and ways of many politicians, in general, and feels that ultimately they do not have the people's best interest in mind. To match his balanced and refined way of thinking, clean-cut, eloquent verses help make this collection resound prolific and prestigious, as he maintains a tranquil disposition regardless of the poem’s subject or topic. In addition to this, brief, informative footnotes included with select poems, teach, educate, magnify, provoke thought, stimulate inquiry, and do a wonderful job at entertaining us!
As a man, he stands up to biased clichés and invalid stereotypes that do not represent him or his beliefs, as in the poem, “All Men Cheat.” With the title of this poem in mind, in another poem he asks, “Where Are The Men?” Tying the two pieces together, unfaithfulness and infidelity sum up to only one thing for Author Tolu’ A. Akinyemi: immaturity.
The Author also questions the philosophical soul who invented such nonsense, saying, ‘all men cheat,’ and attests, from his
own experience, that this is far from true. A great word of inspiration for some who’ve been sold and bought this disheartening fable about faithfulness, which is exactly why poets such as, Author Tolu’ A. Akinyemi, and books such as this are so valuable to humankind.
Through the Author’s encouraging words and genuine spirit, dead dreams awaken and the essence of patience teaches us to never give up (Dreams Come True; pg. 62)! For it is ultimately our choice of which path we decide to lead in this world, whether it be the footsteps of the ‘power-drunk husband,’ or the Light of The World, Jesus Christ.
Though he says, ‘we are all broken,’ Akinyemi believes strongly in the power of the tongue, which through it, ‘Kings are enthroned’ as ‘Kingdoms are pulled down.’ So, we leave everyone interested in reading this masterpiece with this wise mantra in the words of the Author; ‘speaklife to your children,’ ‘nourish their souls with pleasant words,’ build friendships, not walls,’ and lastly, always ‘speak life when you can.’
We are extremely happy to present this book with a 5-star rating and recommend it to those who aren’t afraid to grow, in spirit, and in truth.
Well done!
This book is available for purchase on: