Okechukwu’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Author: Oke Iroegbu

  • Depression

    The English dictionary defined depression as a state of mind producing serious, long-term lowering of enjoyment of life or inability to visualize a happy future. Many people experience this daily. Depression sucks out the joy and life of an individual even when the person is still living. Honestly, I think being sad is the youngest brother…

  • Reflection: Be Happy

    Happiness is whatever you make of it. It’s as free as the air we breathe and the light we see. A Goat’s Stubborn Story A friend sent the picture above on WhatsApp. I was amused by the sight of goats pulling a wagon. Out of all quadruplets, stubborn goats were chosen to pull a cart.…

  • Selflessness

    An old man once told me the story of how as a young man, his mother used to ask him: “What is the most important part of your body?” Through the years, he would guess what he thought was the correct answer. The first time, his answer was: “The ears.” The mother replied: “No, many…

  • I felt roses by Alexander Okoroji

    It was a dream, The deepest of it, The silent have it, But this moments stole it, I whisper a little, She knew, It was love, She felt it, I never wanted it back, I gave it, A shyly shaky witty love. Oh no, What if I dent the colours, I spoilt it with odours,…

  • Say You Believe Me

    The past won’t make me think less of us The worlds pain and hurts won’t either So I invented a formula to love you, To make you smile in several ways, Tell you the story of the tall giraffe And how she ate the sick moon half, Perhaps we can act the noisy two You,…

  • Night Poem: Nature Lamps

    I lived in rural southern Nigeria for a generous amount of time. Each time nightfall throws her pitch-black blanket over the horizon, I can’t help but wonder. I would stretch my eyes as far as they can go to see where the darkness ends, this ends with disappointments because no one can see or measure…

  • Isuikwuato Hills

    1. See these monuments standing to salute, to greet the great and small, From the top, the tree branches wave their way through the wind And down below, their roots, like men’s arms pop out of the ground Across the skies, just above the hills, light blue clouds abound 2. Mushrooms are the landlords, they…

  • Shepherdlore: Dreams

    Down, down the quiet vale Where skies are always blue, And rivers rush over pebbles And birds sing all day long Live a young ruddy shepherd Who knew the forest And made friends with her dwellers His voice was kind, so was his hands He believed in fairy tales and angels And having it all…

  • Love’s Memory

    For love’s memory I cherish this dose, This care, your beauty, Every time the sun rose I remember this feeling

  • Speak Positive

    In Africa, whatever you believe and yearn for, comes to you Dear friends, Let me distract you from all the bad news circling the globe. So I have written this just to remind you how awesome you are. So if you could just do me this favour; take a look at the mirror and tell…

  • Amuse: The Hill

    A few miles away, stood a hill Which the simple villagers revere It is said that all cold and wind Came from the foot of the hill And so the villagers admired it, If their day was cheerless and hot It is that someone angered it, Took a piss on roots by the hillside Or…

  • Igbo Proverbs

    Proverbs are sources of wisdom. They are the oil with which the Igbo eat their words. In this post, I wrote in Igbo, translated into English, and then gave its meaning. Sometime ago, I did a blog post on proverbs used in the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Click here to view it.…

  • Quote: Helping Others

    Life’s support system is not one-laned; sometimes we need to be there for others too.

  • Haiku: Misty Moon

    Misty moon Twilight verse Wishes wait

  • Friendship

    There’s always a friend out there for everyone, someone to confide in and share life with. Friendship is illustrated in love, sympathy, kindness, loyalty, generosity, forgiveness, altruism, mutual understanding, compassion, trust, and the ability to be oneself and to express one’s feelings. Even Africa’s wild agrees on friendship. Do you agree? ☺️

  • Family Is Everything

    Family is what we make it In Africa, family is everything. Family is not necessarily people related by blood. I know friends who have become and feel more like family to me. It’s all based on trust, unconditional love, and acceptance. That’s what family is. Family is a cushion and citadel. Family is a home…

  • Haiku: Bright Evening

    Bright evening Sparrows sing, Lovers listen

  • African Proverb: The River Route

    If the river route changes, the crocodile is obliged to follow – Proverb from Burkina Faso In today’s proverb, the crocodile can be likened to life and the river route to vicissitudes. Hence, when things change, for good or bad, life has to go on.

  • Night Poem: Dream Away

    Your voice wakes the wild nature in me When you sing the lyrics gladden my soul I adore those moments you look over your shoulder To catch my happy stare; as you dance away, laughing *** You dress like tulips that grow on the farmyard Fresh, delicate pink, lively as green bean pods Scenting the…

  • Wilderness in the Skies

    There’s wilderness in the skies Embellished with many galaxies Of numerous twinkling stars Cosmic jewellery, Playing peek-a-boo With folk down below Once upon a time, A moment of thought On a journey called life

  • Happiness

    The pursuit of happiness is a moral duty So what is happiness? Everyone has got a definition depending on their life’s viewpoint. Happiness is contentment. It’s bliss, joy, peace of mind, and hope. The pursuit of happiness is engraved in the US Declaration of Independence. Happiness is the sound of waterfalls. It’s the whistling of…

  • Life, A Walk In The Park

    Life is like a walk in the wooded green park Where strange fine flowers and plants grow, And pests; rodents, bunnies and insects abound On the roadside will be mistletoes, thorny roses, even cactuses With so many harmless weed plants sprouting all about They hurt if one touches them and won’t If one will let…

  • Haiku: Silhouettes Walk

    Grim pups howl Cold full moon Silhouettes walk

  • Muse: Love

    Love is when we stare into the eyes of each other When we smile for no reason but each others warmth It gives me pleasure to love you, masoyina And I cherish the thought of it every sunset **** Masoyina*: Hausa language for my love.

  • African Myths

    Do you know that in Africa there are so many outrageous myths and beliefs? Mind you, this is not voodoo. Myths do exist. Most times, they are used to scare or refrain children and young adults from being rude, behaving wildly or disobeying their parents or elders. So let’s define a myth to get a…

  • Last November Rains

    When it’s time for the rain to journey away, the days turn gloomy and nights cold. In a few days, the rainy season will be over. We don’t know when but the older folk says it’s almost time. Nowadays the rain falls every evening. It starts with a sudden change in the weather, like a…

  • Fresh Start

    Waking sun reminds of onsetsFor the past is kept without,So light dew may bless the moment

  • Night Poem: Setting Sun

    Favourite pastime My favourite moment of the day is sunset. The golden rays of the setting sun reveal a lot to me: better is the end of something than its beginning. Watching the sun fall yields to me how an infant my soul will remain. I don’t want to get used to it. It heals…

  • Life

    Life is like a mist Life is a precious gift, a blessing that we should never take for granted. Life is like a mist. The mist appears for a while and disappears forever. So in your thoughts, relive the moments that brought smiles to your face. Relive the hugs from the ones you love, the…

  • Muse: Dear Starry Night

    Dear starry night, Friend of the lonely shepherd Attend to these heartbeats So that the night aura be grand Play the silent music of night Chart a path for this heart Where flowery dreams sprout Sweet & memorable moments With the approaching twilight Permit these emotions to pause At the sunset golden gate Let it…

  • Onyinye (Gift)

    Keep It On Lately, I have attempted to write more about love. In doing so, I decided to take some inspiration from my old work. I visited my archive and there’s a lot of rusty but good stuff. I grin when I see my old writing and how it has changed over the past decade.…

  • She Plays

    She plays the guitar as the winds tease the treeline Twilight brings our harmonious memories Together to admire the night sky, the setting sun, But impulses of shared affection let it again rise Fresh breeze – a moment of heartfelt enthusiasms These songs took my heart along with the rhythm Dancing, I realize I fell…

  • Peace

    A tranquil evening is nature’s wayOf welcoming a weary shepherd,Sundown – his thoughtful views heralds,Memories in which trees fiercely danceAnd soft grasses wait where birds fly home

  • Come Thunder (1967) by Christopher Okigbo

    Christopher Okigbo Christopher died fighting in the Nigerian – Biafran civil war that raged through the late 1960s. Then Nigerian politics was in grave turmoil, the military was in charge and various parts of the nation harbored umbrage for the Igbo people of southern Nigeria. The Eastern region attempted to break away from the federation…

  • Chose Africa

    Africa!Land of quasa drumNature’s valid essence,The land of palm beer,Of enormous cascades Africa!Land of hills & valleysCourteous clans,A land of milk & honeyFlowing all about Africa!Land of pots & drinksA calabash of hot soupCheerful smiles & winksA merry couples night Africa!Cradle of civilization,Terrific folk & historyMother of all nationsHome to the first man My Africa!Land…

  • Night Poem: Vocal Nature

    Night Nature has a way of entertaining itself, you know. There are the nocturnal insects and birds who sing through the night, there are the whistling pines and the stubborn wind. The night can be annoying at times when buzzing insects bother sleepers, it can also let her musicals perform lullabies to weary people when…

  • Love Quote

    One of the toughest things to say is ‘I love you,’ but it’s an expression that can heal broken hearts. Love someone today.

  • Woman

    The braids on your hairTypical of an African womanBlack and natural. Well fitStraight cheekbonesMixed into hair,Like a young gazelles face.Your nose is like the fine basketWhen you breathe, it’s a wonderSame with your walk on flowers When you dance, you smile,Showing teeth, unspoiledThe teeth: white and strongPerfect fitWhen you love, it is realYou’re black and…

  • Reflection: Faces

    Faces I’m worried my village will be a different place when I come back. It’s been a while since I left, and I wonder what has changed. I daydreamed on the bus as it sped down the hill. Palm trees streaked past, and I lost count. The clouds seemed to change with each turn, but…

  • Nightfall in The Savannah

    Night falls behind the village fenceLast traces of day, shadows fadeTree lines turn grey and blackWhile the sky host a million stars Quiet evening, sound of waterHeard down the waterfalls, by the streamsideAnd from thickets bullfrogs wadeEnjoying the fresh and sweet breeze Tree branches play with the windSoft singing is heard from huts awayWhile hill…

  • Wisdom Secrets from the Ant

    If experience is the best teacher, must it be our own experience? Wise men stand out because of their willingness to learn from the experience of others. Wisdom is not a function of size, neither is it dependent on age or experience. Until one learns from one’s experience, he can’t develop wisdom. Wise men stand…

  • Art

    Art means many things to different people. For me, art is an identity. This is an image from a friend from Algeria. I asked her to let me use it as this post’s picture. Hadjer is an artistic engineer. She loves painting and dreams of establishing a studio. Art is the beautyWe see up the…

  • Morning Wind

    this early morning wind is super happy for she is wedded to the chilly climate, this green land, her people, my delighted self, one beautiful place, I will always call home

  • How Lucky

    Gratitude I love you; I want you to know. It’s easy to take things and other people for granted. Sometimes people feel entitled because someone makes an effort to please or help them. Everyone needs to know that they are valued. Telling someone how much they mean to you is not wrong. Saying ‘please and…

  • Quote on Life

    Life grows forward not backward It’s a brand new month! New beginnings are opportunities to build something great. But remember to enjoy this beautiful life you are blessed with. Have fun!

  • Summer Returns: Tale of the Wildwoods

    Upon the glades and vales of the wildwoods The Mountain stood quietly by the forest side Sniffing the sweet smell comes from fresh growing flower shrubs The happy birds come flying back home Followed by all pretty insects and the boar herd The skies are tinted with blue skirmish Sometimes it seemed it will rain,…

  • Kindness: The Lion and The Mouse

    Here is one of the oldest and best loved stories of kindness paid and repaid. From it we learn that compassion lies within the power of both the mighty and the meek. Kindness is not a feeble virtue. One day a great lion lay asleep in the sunshine. A little mouse ran across his paw…

  • Black & White

    We are one human race Tolerance I see tolerance as a powerful word that can improve the world. It’s about accepting people for who they are. Racism, nepotism, tribalism, fanaticism, and similar issues occur when we refuse to recognize that others deserve the same as we do. Teaching children that there is only one human…

  • Greens and Stones

    There’s so much beauty in the world, there’s so much pain too. Pain prevails more because man wants it so. I wrote this poem some time ago. It’s self-explanatory, so I need not talk much about it. The bottom line is that man, in his quest for wealth and power, has become an enemy to…

  • The Shepherd’s Muse

    Glad that the night brought pleasant airsThe shepherd lay to relieve the day’s stressCrickets chirp, the night is absolutely youngBut dreams come fast to a weary nomad