Month: Dec 2015

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A Muse: Arise, my Sunshine

Goodmorning my sunshine
Should I let the curtains open
To let the suns warmth reach us?

See the sun rise fast above the clouds
From the silhouettes of caves she rises
Showing herself in between two cliffs
Painting the grey land gold;
There is smell of burning grass
Come from farms awaiting the suns heat
And there are calls of flight birds
Joined by wailing infants in the hamlet
The heat scorch their skin

Alas, arise my sunshine
Let me see your pretty face smile
Upon the golden fleece from the sun
Let me behold your beauty made in Heaven
Let me stare at your cute dark eyes
For the nights strife and cold is gone
And this morning, all new things begin
Starting from the pretty smile on your face

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The rivulet, Oko’pia

You stay far away
And you beckon to us

From the quiet hamlets we hear you call
Messages passing thro the forests rumbling stomach
To the white clouds garnished by the sunshine
And the tree pathways, leading to you
We sit on your banks, telling stories of the wild
You let the trees surrounding us blow us kisses
The children pick palm nuts and small rocks
And they try to crack the nuts to have the seeds
The sands on your banks provide our feet
With warmth and resounding comfort
And when we step into you; sweet and cold
But all this while, your waters flow in haste
To other lands they rush to feed!
Now and then a stray fish shows up
Throwing up bubbles to the surface
And avoiding the currents surge in moves defined
As leaves fall each time the trees are kissed
By the cool breezes sent only by the wind

The trees cover the pathways leading to you
The sun shine try to break through
But to no avail. only sun streaks could
And from up there Hawks whine as they fly
The pathways are lonely, save from rodents
And stray reptiles which seek the suns heat
Now and then, a fruit falls ‘plum!’
Into the quietness of your current
And the little fishes scatter in confusion
But the crabs stay careless and unperturbed

Now, you call unto me dear stream
And when we walk through the pathways to you
It all comes to us, your comfort and taste-quenching waters
And how much we miss your warmness
When we all live the hamlet to settle in towns

I beckon to you now as you do always to me
Tell me what I have missed all this while
Let your waters wash me, let me be free
And let once more, your waters flow thro my sight

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The Butterfly

There was this little yellow butterfly
Fluffy, gracious and hovering all about me
She seemed to be searching for my legs
Though shy she seemed, she kept flight
And at a point she came down to the floor
Flapping her little wings calm but swift
I watched her, trying to understand her gesture
With my hands moving slowly to her I went
And in few seconds, I was very close to her
She let me touch her yellow wings
And what a feeling I had!
Touching this pretty, small and gracious creature

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Lessons from Experiences

Choosing a school

Choosing a school can be hectic and stressful. Most times, selections are made wrongly by prospective candidates. Some make choices based on family influences or peer pressure, the fact is your the one who is going to school, not your parents or friends. It is important to make proper investigation on a school you would like to attend, visiting the school is highly recommended and also checking out the faculty and department is necessary. When I was ready to further my ed from the State Polytechnic, I visited four universities; FUTO, Uniport, MOUAU and Uniuyo. It was at the later that I pitched my tent. Several factors contributed to my choosing this school, one being the proximity of the school to my state. I am not the type that stay away too long from the family. Another reason was the opportunities the school and location had to offer. The school is a Federal institution translating to lower tuition costs. I fancy social resources such as the Schools Radio station, sport facilities and overall the serenity. Also, the school is versatile and many students from different states call there home.

I can summarily say that to chose a school that is best fit for you, one should consider the location and environment, the available resources (technological, scholastical etc) and opportunities, dynamism and the learning facilities and culture and tuition cost. Also, if you come from a middle or low income background, chosing a school closer to your place of residence is prudent. Atleast you wont spend much on transportation. Now some of the dont’s about chosing a school include the following
1. Dont choose a school because your friend(s) are
there. You will end up being a number.
2. Dont chose a school out of sentiments, like the
school is located in your state or city or your dad is the Vice Chancellor.
3. Dont chose a school that is known for much violence and educational inefficiency.
4. Dont chose a school located in a difficult terrain. Do you stay a day or more travelling to your school? What risks are one exposed to in such undertaking?
Those and more should be the guiding rules in chosing a school.

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Take me there

Take me to a place where the sun shines
Where flowers blossom in the summertime
And the yellow wheat fields stay in quietness
Even as bees and beetles buzz about the trees
And butterflies hover about in sweet abandon

Take me to a place where the airs are mild
In the mornings after a stormy night
As the Marigold and Rose give their scent
And the patter-pattering of the rain drops
Falling on the rooftops gives a lullaby

Take me to a place where the rain falls
Where pools of water grow about
And the sweet spring water leap joyfully
As the grey fishes swim about carelessly
And tree leaves fall in circles solemnly

Take me to the gates of Heaven
To the city made of gold and diamonds
And where women laugh as they dance
With bowls of almond cakes, wine, bacon
And cheese design the table for dinner

Take me to that place
Where my eyes will see
The beauty that Your love can provide

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Your Smiles

Your smiles are awesome
They make me speechless
And when the day is spent
Upon my face, the stress
With your smiles and scent
Thoughts of you are heart warming
You are sweet and hug deserving

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A Psalm : Hide me in Your Shadow

Hide me in your Shadow Lord
Let me be invincible to the worlds strife
In the vales were dry bones lay
And up hill were the skies touch the Earth
Let me stand blameless before You
I have fallen for I am just human
Weak, frail and vain, but You perfects all this
Now I stand before You, dear Lord
Asking for You alone and all You are
Leave me not behind
But in Your invincibility let me hide

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Hold my hands

Hold my hands
Let’s take this stroll together
Let’s grow older together
Your smiles light my world
I am lost to endless wonder

Hold my hands
Let’s take this walk together
Let’s smile at each other
Let’s walk beneath the tree shed
In a dry and airy evening of December

Hold my hands
Let’s forget the days heat and toil
Let’s us play in the brown soil
Sit and watch the fine golden sun set
And let not anything our happiness foil

Hold my hands
Let’s sit hurdled together
Even as we grow older
And when the day fails and darkness deepens
Let our love find the courage to stay bolder

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Xmas

How happy the day ended
And now the stars glitter in the night
With laughters of joy resounding about
While up the hills, the grass burn
How joyful the hugs and smiles are
From loved ones and friends
And the entire acquiantance made
As celebrations and festivities abound

Now the birth of our Lord, Christ
Is the reason for the season
For the joy and laughter
And celebration come
Let the peace of the Lord
Dwell and bless you all

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Festive Season

In the mornings and evening
And as the sun rises each day
Comes the joy of the festive season
On the roadsides the dry grasses lay
Waiting to be gathered and burned
So the flames can dance happily
To meet the sky, his sweet bride
And the fest ends as the soot falls solemnly
But then the kids play soccer in the fields
The dusts of the Harmattan sift about
Noise of home coming is heard all around
The hot day drives all crazy; man, monkeys and moth
As the sun prepares to set
The horizon turns gold
As the clouds move up the firmaments
And as women gather wood
For the coming darkness
Such as then, a happy extended family gathering
Sitting around the fireplace
With the queer scent of burnt grasses smelling

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Yehobhah, God of Invincibility

Oh Lord of all life
The one with the power of invincibility
He who made the Universe and all in it
With mere words of mouth
The pillars of the Earth stand erected!
He rides the thunder storm in the dark
And like the passing of grey clouds
The Sun rises on His command
The day sleeps when He wills
All life praise His Holy name!

The Scots call Him Yehobhah
Upon the stony hills on the sea side
His majesty’s power is felt
And up the skies the Eagles
Show the extent of His glory

Jehovah is invincible
He is adorable
And my God He is!

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Aba, The Enyimba City

See the roofs on houses, dust cladded
And the palm trees stuck to the ground
Like a majestic knight standing guard
The streets wind up the road

Ogbor sits on a hill up the vale
The ancient city and fortress
Once on the river flowing fast
Washing strange mens nakedness

The harmattan brings dusts upon all
The skies are blue most times
Highways are full with cars that whine
But upon the gross confusion men dine

Women trade in the markets
Some men drink heavy stout
Always, people traverse about
But in the evening, the lights go out

Ariaria sits where the city allowed it
The noisy and busy Ngwa town
Wakes with the rising sun
And today a tale must be written

Commentary:
I was raised in this Eastern Nigeria city. The owners of the land are the Ngwa, a sub unit of the Igbo tribe. Also known as the Enyimba city, and harbors the Enyimba Intl FC of Nigeria. Aba is predominantly a commercial center and many markets and industries are situated there.

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Let us dance

Let us dance while the moon shine
As we swerve about together
To see the stars as they glitter

Let us dance under the baobab
Besides the termites castle
And the grazing field for the cattle

When we dance under the baobab
And the moon light up the cloud is bright
All beautiful memories come alive in the night

Now let the wind flow about us
And let the kids gather for a tale
For such nights as this are rare

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Be there for you

When love is taken to the moon
And for many, numerous reasons
The lines of your teary eyes
Grow dim as your love deepen
Your hug drives me crazy
It transforms my view of the world
A dance of the flickering flight
On the black eyes that watch my lips
As you peer into my sleepy eyes
Allowing your flow of love come

I’ll be there always for you
In the sunshine and the rain
And in lights out and sun rising

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By the Window side on the Harmattan

Once by the window side
One can see the greenfields
The tulips and the sweet smelling Rose
And the little spider crawling about in her net
The golden sun shines forth
Bringing her warmth through the window
And the birds twitter on the tree
Which live near the windowside
Sometimes squirrels come bounding in
Throwing their pack of nuts into the room

But when the dusts of Harmattan came
And the tree leaves turn brown
And the grasses grow not again
No one looked through the window…
For it all became dark and filled with soot

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God is Reading

Now write of the falling leaves
From tree tops and heights
As they fall in solemn circles
And as the wind rock them about

Write about the mountains and hills
About the hollow sound made
When the birds hover over them
Painting silhouettes upon the ground

Write about the trees
And their sweet awesomeness
The pleasure and fruits they bear
The warmth they provide for men

Write about Natures innocence
Of the blue skies and light rain
Of the horse and her shyness
And the love that comes from above

Write about golden fields of wheat
In the summer time and of winter
And heal the world with the pen
For God is always reading

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Nature

Musing: Longing for thee

My soul longs for thee, dear motherland
To run the dusty red muds
And to swim in the rivers all over you
To climb the trees of your forests
And wallow on the shallow streams
My soul longs to nibble the tender pumpkin seeds
Freshly cut from the farms
To dance with warriors, home with wild beasts
Painted with fearful, scary colors of chalk
My soul longs to belong to this hunting party
Scouting the green forest, sniffing the hare
My soul longs to sit with the elders of the clan
And to hear the wisdom that comes from them
And to eat the round, reddish bitter kolanut
My soul longs to hear tales from my aunts and granny
From the hamlets tale teller and visiting messengers
My soul longs to see the appearance of the full moon
And as she light the town center with her brightness

My soul longs for the long quiet sunny day
In a very quiet hamlet, save from bird calls
And the swooshing of tall trees in the morning wind
With the Harmattan blowing away all my troubles
My soul longs to hear the winds speak
To make rain fall, and drive the cattle away
To calm a horse, and feed the chicken

My soul longs to see the wild
To ride through the field of Baobabs
And to drink the juice brewed by locals
To travel on a safari to East Africa
And dine with the Masai, to fright the Lions

Learn Igbo language and culture here.

My soul seeks to love you, my beautiful one
To pick ripe tomatoes from the fields with you
And to hide in fields of corn or wheat
In the morning of a quiet summer time
To dance with you, in the quiet evening
To teach you all what poetry can be
And also to learn about the ants together

My soul longs to hold you tightly, little ones
To see beautiful smiles on your face always
To love you always my motherland
And to reverence His majesty, Jehovah, my God

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When the Sky Fall

Will you look upon this weary face
When it all ends some coming day
–
When the volcanoes erupt
And the sky fall
Or will this face be saddened
With sudden human twist of betrayal?

Will there be your shoulder to lean on
Will there be your care and pats,
When tears cloud the blue eyes
And bomb blasts destroy all?

When the nights are cold and lonely
And we sit broken and hungry
Will there be a drop of water
From your dry rain-water pots?

Now we are young, but age comes
Will you keep your promise
Of loving, when my eyes grow old,
And as the candle lights go out?

Will you look upon my weary face
When it all ends some coming day?

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The sunset

The sun set slowly
The grey dusts of time
Sink as the dark come
As the birds fly away

The winds become softer
It lets the moons sign
Come upon the clouds as a print
The smell of burning grass rent the air

The golden color of the wheat
Which stays when the sun shine
Turn grey as the day travel
The sights of men become dim

The clouds are quiet
The moist descend also
Evenings are solemn
As the airs go fresh

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Airy Night

The evening is cold
The airs are mild
It blows very sweet
Into the eyes of all
Burnt ashes fly about
Even as the evening is dull
And people lay yawning
The wind continue to blow

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The Leopard Man

Once, deep in the heart of the hamlet
A terror strikes in the dead of the night
Tears, blood trails and fresh paw marks

After the moon light, come a deep roar
From the forests that live with the hamlet
A terror descends upon the quietness
Two small balls of light ravage the village
In the pitch darkness of a moonless night
Scaling the thatch fencing and in a “Maah!”
Huge goats and cattle get missing
The dogs bark angrily and fearfully
They can only bark, the beast believed
A snarl, and the dog park scatter out
And in the morning people go about
Counting the loss and growing goose pimples
And staring at the disturbed garden plants
At the back yards of unfortunate victims
The children hide behind their parents
Trying to fit their foot to the paw marks
The dogs sit like bewitched hounds
Staring at the mess the visitor brought

Back in the deepest forests of forests
The deadly beast of the night prowls
Under the bushes that are made dark
By the trees that shield the forest
Waiting for an instruction, a guide
The evil that men learn, strange cruelty
The spirits of men transfered to a beast
And in such grim circumstance,
There is no mercy, no pity
There is no fear of man or attitude
For once the spirit of a man
Is transfered to a beast
A havoc unknown to time is born

Commentary
It has been known that in ancient times, some people are capable of turning to wild animals like the hyena, leopard, lions and snakes to attack or take revenge on other people. When two occultic families engage in a dispute, most times they settle with such a fight, one turning to a wild animal to attack another. Also, these people are a cabal of “medicine men” that can conjure spirits of men into an animal, thereby allowing the animal to act on behalf of the man. If the animal is wounded or shot it affects the man whose spirit it carries. To read more about this you might like to read The Bottled Leopard by Ike Chukwuemeka, a heart touching and fascinating story of a young boy whose spirit was tied to a leopard without the knowledge of their family and his pains, adventures and his ordeal in the new school he happened to be admitted to.

The poet tries to paint a picture of such an atmosphere. This poem is by no means occultic. It is purely my imagination.
Oke- Iroegbu

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Umudinja

Tonight, reminds me of thee motherland
Thee land of great forests and men!
Of streams and vast farmlands!
The home of the Cashew and the Palm
The scenery of Mother Natures beauty
A painted work, done only by Nature herself
Great hills and vales surround thee
Oh how love flows when you are remembered
All day, the people are full of smiles
The cold nights are made warm with your memories
A land of the Pheasant and the Hyena
In the hot sun, you shine forth
And the little sun insects scamper about
Let me behold thy beautiful presence
More and more, for thee land
Is my tale and inspiration

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Worthy Is The Lamb

Holy is the Lord
The mighty One of valor
He rules over all the Earth
He commands all nature
And holds the Heavens
With pillars we see not
He is seated upon the throne
In the heaven of Heavens
Praise be to You, Jehovah!
Worthy is the lamb of God

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Nature Poetry

Musing: Besides the Waterfall

I stand before the rocks
On the edge were waters fall
Through the block were ferns grow
And the white crystals drop solemnly

And I call out to thee
Hear me, dear mother Nature
Though I am confused and shy
I come to ask of thee something
All about me, I fear greatly
I fear for the thoughts come to me
The thoughts of losing the one I love
For she is so dear and her version rare
The color of her eyes are sweet grey
And the perfumes on her hair,
Fresh each morning I smell them
She is very tall, like the Pawpaw tree
And when she laughs, my thoughts
Comes to a fierce sudden halt,
She has the grace of the deers limb
And walks majestically, like the Pea-hen
The wind is always cool when she stays
The moon mock my shyness
I crave a planet just for we two
But alas, I fear;
The joy of her acquaintance
Tells of many sweet memories
Which will live for a thousand years
Now tell me, mother Nature
What am I to do, to love her more?
For she gave me her true love
And since this beautiful acquiantance
I see the morning clouds, clear
As the crystal drops fall from the waterfall

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Nature

Natures Fury

Even as your shadow fall upon me
But in the midst of the grim darkness
I see a ray of light, I see hope

You summon the wind with your mind
Scattering the tree leaves all about
You drive the wild cattle away from the field
As the clouds separate the blue from the white
To reveal the scorching sun heat
Unleashing upon the timid, quiet Earth
The drops of rain that fell on the ground
Flood the whole arena, with debris and silt
The thunder strike heavily, with deep sounds
The people retreat, each to their tent
The lightning take some crooked pictures
Binding the world to its cruelty
And all this while, you sit and grin
Thinking of another trick to bother the world with

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Nature

My Lover

The wind let my ship rock
But you commandeered my heart
My sails are up in the sky
The flag of love flies desperately

Now you lay beside my weak bones
Cuddling me, through my shyness
We whisper and talk slowly
While the woods sigh in the chimney

In the waking morning
You are my sunshine
In the cold nights
You are my moon light

The stars glitter when we watch together
And when you pout and smile
Raising your hands to show a star
I am left in sudden wonder

You pull my hair slowly
And sing strange songs you wrote
The pains of the days strife
Is soothed away from me

The tales I tell you make you sleepy
I wake you with a soft thrust of the hair
The smile upon your face warm my heart
And the sleepy calmness of you on me brings joy

And when the evening get darker
And all about quietness comes
But for the tongues of fire licking the wood
We stay in each others arms

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Fantasy: “I Am”

I am a mist
Covering the green woods
In the early hours of the morning
Descending upon the streets a mirage

I am a shadow
Hiding in the quiet streets
Following lights wherever it goes
Swerving about in the lights flicker

I am a rainmaker
One who invokes the rain
One who calls upon the thunder
And strikes fear in the hearts of all

But I am also a rainbow
Painting the grey skylines
With my colorful hues
And the beauty of Nature

I am a cat, the leopard
Striding the vast jungle
A king of the wild;
The keeper of the wild

I am a wolf
Lurking in the shadows
Watching the crowd pass by
Letting dogs bark all night

I am a forest of trees
The one who feeds the wild
The house of the squirrels
A citadel for all flora and fauns

I am the wild
The lover of Natures gift
The waterfalls that stand ageless
The wonders that men never knew

I am a dream
The power of the will
The believe in oneself
The desire to achieve

I am a lantern
A burning hope
Of a dying world
A dancing ray of light

I am a Mustard
I am small but mighty!
I bear fruits in my time
And growing among thorns

I am a lover
The one who pulls her hair
And holds her to high esteem
In want, in plenty, but joy we have

I am a poet
Living in my fantasies alone
Painting the world with words
Loving the fate Providence has for me

I am Africa!
The Plains of the Savannah
The waterfalls of Lake Victoria
And the roars of the Lion

I am the Sunshine
The beauty of Mother Nature
The protector of the world
And the hope of another day

I am hope
That mankind will love truly
That the world will be peaceful
And that peace will have a chance

I can be whatever I chose to be.

Commentary.
This is not about me. I am writing this piece just for the fun of it. I am human, therefore I am in no way invisible. Only but few, of the verses I believe are true about me.

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Musing: Sun Rising in Africa

When the sun rises upon the quiet hamlet
There is joy, there are smiles and laughter

The curtains are thrown open for light
The golden rays of the sun swing in
Hopes are high, answers to prayers come

The children roll out their bicycles
As their dogs follow them, fast
The little ones stay behind, to watch the fun

The girls file in a line to the stream
Talking about the previous night
And how great the melon harvest was

The boys march through the forest
To check their hidden traps
And hoping to kill a wild cattle one day

The women pound yams; make soup
Giving the hamlet a new decent smell
And from the hills, one can tell what meal that waits

The men gather about in the town center
Deliberating on a fresh and virgin farmland
And the new bridge proposed for the river

Trees swoosh about like a choirs swerving
The noise of joy is full and all about
And the tree leaves fall solemnly with the wind

The clouds blue, new and fresh
Let the sun turn all hue bright
Painting a beautiful image of the hamlet

As it falls on the huts by the roadside
Making those lively, painting them gold
And drawing wonder to all living things

The mamba and the boas come to the pathways
Scaring many, but joining the sun funfare
The monkeys play on the tree branches

The cries of the hawks up the skies
And the smaller birds making nest
Outside the hamlet are heard

The winds are not left out
They sing aloud, to the hamlets hearing
They conjure the spirits of the Whistling Pine

And as the warm friendly sun rises quietly
Smiling , it brings good tidings to all
Bugs, ants, faun and flora, man and woman

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A short Psalm

When I found Your light amidst the darkness, it made my life so beautiful
Up the mountains, down the valleys, in the hamlets and in towns
The nights bring her blanket upon me, making my heart faint
The cold feast upon my flesh, making me shiver and cry out
But Your Providence surpasses all my loneliness, it brings me bread and wine
Let me drink from Your cup and dine with You on Your majestic table
And take me to a place where my eyes will see the beauty of Your love

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A tale: The Boar and The Tortoise

Once in a land far, far away… The Tortoise and the
Boar made friends. There friendship was known all over the land. The two families were very close. One day the Tortoise asked the Boar to lend him some money. Out of the old friendship which existed between the two families, the Boar lent out the money. It was agreed that the money would be paid back on a fortnight. The Tortoise made plans with his wife to deceive the Boar so as to prolong the repayment date. He asked his wife to use his hard back shell as a grinding stone and to tell the Boar that he wasnt around whenever he came. A day after the agreed date of repayment, the Boar walked in, full of smiles he saw the Tortoise wife grinding pepper on a stone. He asked after his friend. ‘He went to the farm not too long ago’ the Tortoise wife lied. The Boar ran off towards the Forests in search of the Tortoise. But he was no where near the farms. He walked back home. The next day he came back. ‘He went to see the Cock’ the Tortoise wife lied again. The Boar ran off again. This time he asked other animals on the road if they have seen the Tortoise but none had seen him and he wasn’t at the Cocks place either. Thinking that the Tortoise might be playing a trick on him, the Boar in anger returned to the Tortoise house and took the grinding stone from the Tortoise wife. He wasnt thinking, he flung the stone far into the shrubs. A few minutes later, the Tortoise walked into his compound. He saw the angry Boar. ‘What is it my friend. Why is your face red?’ he asked ‘I’ve come for my money’ the Boar answered. The Tortoise demanded for his grinding stone and vowed never to pay the Boar if he wont return his stone. The Boar rushed into the shrubs in search of the stone. He was picking every stone on the ground with his snout to see if they belonged to the Tortoise. Up till now the Boar still pick the ground in search of the Tortoise grinding stone. It is wrong to play on peoples intelligence, it is also wrong to act in anger.

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Kpe’re in the Harmattan

Now real love feels like
Standing on a rocky land
Surrounded by bamboo trees
On a very hot sunny day
By the side of a flowing stream
Filled with children playing
In the coldness of the waters
And watching the hovering hawks
Circle the area like a scout
As each burst of Heavenly air
Shakes the leaves of the forest
Making the pines whistle
And the bamboo leaves shiver

The tiny silver fishes swerve about
Like a dancing carnival, up and down
And the brown and black crabs
Hide behind flowing tree leaves
The trees on the streams pathway
Shed their leaves joyfully
Watching as they fall quietly
Into the ever quiet stream
The squirrels on tree tops
Watch patiently for any intruder
Holding nuts picked from trees

Now the rocks, so bold and ancient
With indelible marks of Nature
And the strange folk tales told
The waters fall on the stones
And in a queer haste wash down
The rocky body of waterfall
Throwing a splattering noise
Not so far away
Like Nature washing her garments
On the waterfalls as she sing
The distorted but unified painting
Of Natures sweet wholesomeness
Wonder, green and beauty

Love for you, motherland

Commentary:
Kpe’re is the name of my hamlets stream located in Ovim in Isuikwuato in Nigeria. It is a very fine sight, full of ancient rocks and exotic forest of bamboo and many pretty flowers and plants. I can recall vividly stories told me about the stream and her forest. Wild animals; wild dogs, hyena, antelopes, boars, pythons etc have been sighted and once I witnessed a rare specie of snake being killed during a visit in one of the past Decembers. I can also recall swimming when suddenly a snake came with the streams tide, everyone had to run for safety, hahaha. I was a kid then. There is this particular rock by the bamboo forest which has the mark of a very Fish. My mom told me during one heavy down pour, that fishes came down from the clouds and one landed on the rock leaving that mark, hmmm! Well, the exotic appearance of the streamside is one of wonder, nature and beauty. Perhaps I will take pictures of here some day.

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Flowers from the front

Dear,

I found a flower on a dirt patch
This morning, as the sun rose
It looked a little sickly
It’s redness almost lost
And it shivered on the morning breeze
It told me about the dying world
And I had pity on it
The world is dying dear
Man and machines are helping her die
I had hoped to mail you this flower
But it’s appearance would prove my misery

Right now, I lay upon the ground
Watching as days go into months
And as my fellow men lay dead
The machines have no conscience
Only men who handle them do
But it seem we are connected now
Low conscience and no conscience
The fields are void of flowers now
The trees fall like gladiators in the arena
Hills are grounded by missiles
The pain from the scorching sun
And the tears of men slain
Come to me each moment of relieve
There are no consolation in a war
The field is littered
With man and machine parts
But do you see how beastly man can be?
I pray such memories come not to you

I will send you a flower
If I find one around here
If the war persists
The fields are filled with mud
And grease and even blood!
There is smoke everywhere
There is sorrow and pain too
i look up the trees
The leaves and nuts are gone
The squirels and monkeys too
All the birds had taken flight
All we are left with is bones and guns

Even as we crawl in this filth tonight
I hope to see a flower
One to remind me of our times together
One to speak of good men somewhere
And one to give me hope once again…

I am weary gun carrying,
I shall return to you soon
And we shall plant roses, red and green
For now, I wish I could just send flowers

Commentary.
War has no benefit. The world is faced with many problems already; global warming, earthquakes, tsunamis, poverty and illiteracy rates, food, energy and fresh water shortages. We could join hands together to savage what we can.

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Umukwu: In Cold Mornings

It is a very cold morning
As dew descend upon this land
From those ancient hills
Standing like medieval knights
Protecting, shielding and guiding the hamlet
Quiet, queer and strange
But full of amazing life

When you feel the cold
Touched by the tip of a grass leave
On your way to the stream
Or on your way to the farm
Tucked away somewhere
Through windy pathways
Hidden in the green forest
The trick of Nature comes to you
The streams are very cold
Icing cold, it takes a huge heart
To plunge a fist in the waters

The shivering cold feasts on the flesh
Turning the skin to white colorings
Driving dry airs through the nose
And up the hills, one could hear sounds;
The cutting of palm fronds
The call of the wild
The wind brings sweet scents
Of wild sunflowers and marigold
And the cooking of my people
Though the cold be so a tyrant
It revives memories never to be lost
To a wild and country-loving boy

Umukwu is a hamlet located in Ovim, Isuikwuato in Nigeria. My mother is from here and I have spent some time living here. It is a very quiet place, save from the birds twittering and the buzzing of insects in the mornings. The hamlets is almost cut off by breath taking hills surrounding it, cold streams with big catfishes and crabs which are not to be killed; very fanciful tradition you might say. The people are homely, welcoming and very friendly; a typical feature of the Igbo ethnic group.

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Musing: If Love

If love is a fruit it will be an orange
If love was up the firmaments, it will be the sunshine
If love was a poetale, it will be the tale of the Giraffe and how he ate the sickly moon half
If love was a color, it will be many hues mixed together without any description or identification
If love was royalty, it will be a king strolling upon his land, with sweet smelling ornaments and gardens of tall trees
If love dwells upon the trees, it will surely be a squirrel peering about the leave covered branches
If love is another story to be written, it will be a one of a lover gone to war to defend the territory where his lover abides
If love was my memory, it will be the mangoes I picked up the fields and how one landed on my head
If love was a fun time, it will be me running after my grannys goats yelling like madness
If love exists truly, it all came when I saw you first and how things became new
If love ever changed me during the Harmattan, I would be an Arabian prince painted white with the wind
If love lives on the Earth, humans will care for each other, for trees and fauns that stray the wild
If love was a lady, it will be a dancing woman, swerving and taking curvy moments and smiling always

At the end, love supersedes all thinqs, love changes many things, love controls some things.

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Tears

1.
When life smiles, smile back
But most times, life never smiles
Then pain becomes a part of it all
But do not let that rule you

2.
Have you seen dying infants
Starving of bread and milk?
But somewhere, somehow
Grains are refined to make fuel
Wit asks, Food or Fuel?

Why are we pained of the past
When we build no future
For a black dying world?
The fear for the deadly unknown
Maybe does not appeal to some

The airs full of blue clouds before
Now dark and grey, loathsome sight
The sweet wind moving all about
Now smell of disgust and smoke
But the factories work away, happily

But when the fishes are meal
They stay on ponds and waters
We feed toxins into these
The feed that feeds our food
All dies, and all dies

If trees do not exist
And then, there is no forest
There would be very little left
For all beautiful hue on Earth
Would evaporate like the mist

3.
Now clutch your blankets tighter
When it is cold and dark
Hold on to dying children
Caught up in strange wars
Pray, even if you believe not
For the pain of all, is the pain of all

4.
But love must spring like a bean
Let’s hold on to that hope
Let it burn in our bossoms
Even when the candle lights go out

For all Children caught up in wars and disasters.

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Verses of December

THE MIST
The morning is filled with the mist
The pathways are treacherous
Filled with stray serpents and scorpions
Come to land to get some warmth

HARMATTAN
The heat burns the flesh
Dried skin and teary eyes
The wind is merciless pushing away
All that dared to stand before her

BURNING GRASSES
Burnt grasses give queer scents
Birds circle the sky in search of food
The days go hot every noon
The grasses all turn red with dust

GOLDEN SUN
Dry leaves fall solemnly
In dramatic circles
With hues of grey
Painting the clouds as the sun set

LOVE
Now this festive season brings love
The cold nights come to us all
The loving hands that holds us to curdle
Stays not too far away from us

CHRISTMAS
The skies are full of fireworks
There are smiles of joy, of hope and celebration
The snow flakes fall and cover the greens
As solemn hymns are sang in the hamlets

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Love Life

Sometimes life is dry and brown
The green leaves of trees mean a little
The sight of snails crawling gives no fun
And all about there is no color or joy

The firmaments seem to be grey
The rain that falls tickles painfully
And the scorching sun so annoying
Isolation from Natures cruelty comes

But when love is found up the hills
Or somewhere, where the mole burrows
The dusks become dawn
The setting sun a rising sun
The dark become light
Weaknesses turn to might

Now your love changed me again
Gave me a new life, so sudden
The winds sing to me sweet tunes
And to your love as it blossoms
Now sitting besides you gives confidence
Walking with you brings joy in abundance
Inspiration comes brings all alive
And the mind becomes creative
The evening air sends your scent
And the roadside flowers smell sweet
All things become beautiful
All because you are now in my life

I am worthy of love
And I love you