Roberta Writes – d’Verse Reimagining the ordinary and street art on Ginza Street #poetry #streetart #Africananimals

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When I visited Japan in December last year, we went to see the art shop fronts on Ginza Street. I shared about this visit here: https://roberta-writes.com/2024/12/21/roberta-writes-thursday-doors-tokyo-store-front-scenes-tokyo-christmas-thursdaydoors/

On Ginza Street, I came across some lovely street art and took pictures of it for blogging friend, Resa, who loves street art. You can find Resa’s most recent street art post here: https://graffitiluxandmurals.com/2025/01/26/muhammad-ali/

I am sharing that street art today and also using it as a jumping off point for my contribution to Dora’s Reimagining d’Verse poetry challenge which you can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2025/02/04/poetics-reimagining-the-familiar/

You can read Dora’s poem here: https://pilgrimdreams.com/2025/02/04/washdays/

Picture caption: Street art on Ginza Street, Tokyo – a Cape buffalo

When I appear on Ginza Street

I am a male Cape buffalo

I roam the plains of southern Africa

Endlessly seeking fodder

Which I consume faster than most African herbivores

Due to my wide row of incisor teeth

And deft tongue

My coat is dark brown, and

I have a set of majestic horns

Called a ‘boss’

They come together in front

To form a protective shield

My temper is unpredictable

And I cannot be tamed

Except when I appear on Ginza Street

Here, I assimilate

Becoming one with the local culture

I evolve into a showpiece

Wearing Joseph’s coat of many colours

My heavy front and wide hooves reduce

My boss erodes, shrinking as I conform

With bowed head and downcast eyes

There is no need to fear me

When I appear on Ginza Street

***

I am a male bush elephant

I wander the savannahs of Africa

Relentlessly grazing

The world’s largest land mammal

I uproot massive trees

Stripping them of their leaves and bark

Leaving behind much devastation

I use my large, curved incisors

Known as tusks

To dig, communicate, and for defense

My thick hide is grey

But I cover it with mud

The colour of the surrounding earth

I am dangerous when provoked

Except when I appear on Ginza Street

When I’m on Ginza Street

I must blend in with my surroundings

And acquire an arty look and feel

My skin becomes dappled

Resplendent in a variety

Of colours and shapes

My tusks diminish

Choosing obscurity

Along with my honey coloured eyes

There is no need to stand back

When I make my appearance

On Ginza Street

This was some other street art we saw on Ginza Street:

Picture caption: Woman dressed in yellow with a large shopping bag
Picture caption: Woman smartly attired, out for a day’s shopping
Picture caption: A multi-coloured collage of different objects of interest

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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

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118 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – d’Verse Reimagining the ordinary and street art on Ginza Street #poetry #streetart #Africananimals”

  15. YAYAYAYAY!!!

    Thank you for thinking of me , Robbie! All the way in Japan, and you thought of me. The power of art is wonderful.

    These pieces are spectacular. Of course you were meant to find the elephant and buffalo. It’s like they knew you were coming and painted them especially for you.

    The poems you wrote in accordance are sublime. I’m so happy to find this, this morning. (On a late schedule this week)

    The other art is fab. The 2 lovely women are unique for street art. The last piece is sort of universal. WoW!

    Adore this! Adore you!

    Okay, I’ll be back after late breakfast!

    HUGS!

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    1. HI Resa, I am so delighted you enjoyed my street art find. I always keep my eyes open for street art now because of you. We don’t have much here in South Africa. These artworks were such fantastic finds and I was delighted. I thought of you straight away and took these pictures knowing I’d get an opportunity to share them.

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  16. These are exquisite poems, Robbie❤️ with such lovely meaning and background, and I’m happy to know we can visit Ginza Street and we’ll all share their beauty. Thanks for taking us there and to our dear Resa who lights up any Page every day of the!
    Your art is outstanding !

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  17. Your poetry has a long reach from Africa to Tokyo — and I like how you connected the animals and their behaviors to the street art. Which is stunning! All those marks inside the animals. Fantastic stuff.

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  19. So good, Robbie! Truly blown away. You made me see what the street artist does when they take the known and dislocate it, and the wonder and imagining of it, challenging us street-side with our shopping bags. I can go on and on about all the thoughts your words opened up for me. On Ginza Street, all the familiar drama of the wild becomes a wild reimagining, I like how you give us the real and the “unreal” to balance the two perspectives.

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    1. Hi Bjorn, yes, from 3 to 2 dimensional but also the stripping of their wild African traits, huge horns/tusks, beady eyes, blended colours and huge hooves. They are much less African in these pictures as Africa is a savage land and these animals must defend themselves and their young from predators in order to survive. A most intriguing artistic interpretation, for me in any event.

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