Member Article

Dead Dogs Don't Bark... And They Don't Bite.

Dead Dogs Don’t Bark is the follow up poetry collection by Tolu A Akinyemi.

Fast making a name for himself in the world of the region’s literature leading lights, Tolu has brought us this new source of motivation from his very heart.

Every poem is clearly based on one of his own life experiences, friends, family, colleagues. Some of it is so personal, you actually feel like you know both the subject and the writer.

Poetry is without doubt making a come back into the trend leagues. And when you read a collection like Dead Dogs Don’t Bark, it is easy to understand why. Short burst of genius on a page that motivate and inspire. That resonate and instigate your own thoughts.

There is a lot of humour in this second effort from Akinyemi. There was plenty in Dead Lions Don’t Roar, but in Dead Dogs Don’t Bark, the writer’s wit on life is clear to see. That is not to say it is frivolous, the comedy is sometimes dark, sometimes close to the bone and sometimes it sparkles. Either way, it drew smile after smile from me, be it in appreciation, in humour or in recognition of a wry understanding.

What is a real sign of the collection being of poetic wisdom, is the use of tempos. An accomplished poet, Tolu changes beats within the book, so there is no monotony. Each poem is to be read at its own speed. Some you gallop, racing to the end to find out the exciting point. Others you read in a languished manner, savouring every word, enjoying the experience to the full.

There is a lot of love gone into these 178 pages – as the author himself says, he truly hopes that anyone who reads it discovers their “Bark and Spark”. In essence the book in my opinion is almost a dedication to that end means – every word is clearly meant to make the reader think. Stay True, as the cover poem instructs us.

In a nutshell, Dead Dogs Don’t Bark is enjoyable, it is stimulating. It is worth visiting his tolutoludo website or popping onto Amazon and adding it to your own bookshelf.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Anna Toms .