Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Author: Oke Iroegbu

  • Put The Glass Down

    It hurts to let go, but sometimes it hurts more to hold on. To heal your wound, you need to stop touching it. A professor entered his classroom with a glass of water. He raised the glass of water. Everyone in the room expected the half entry or half full question. Instead, to everyone’s surprise,…

  • Love Poem – How Lucky I’m

    The fragrance of undying love – Sweet perfume from the lavender I sit, I admire you from the fireside, I realize how lucky I am to have you

  • Night Poem: Dark Night

    Thick fog lay siege, blinding the stars, Now clouds black with looming night Grant the moon to lead the journey As the soft wind sang a languid tune

  • I Gained My Freedom

    Freedom sometimes does not come free. Gained My Right of Way Reminiscing on my primary school days, I would say I didn’t have much interest in the games provided for school kids. I was not too fond of the swing. I had no joy in rocking back and forth on a piece of the metal…

  • Nature Poem: The Butterfly

    Sunflower rests under the tree’s shade, Blushing over the fate of a butterfly, With strange but colourful stripes, One that kept all nature wondering.

  • Night Poem: Sounds of Water

    Your love is a balm to my heart Like an elixir, it refreshes my spirit For each time I lay beside waters quiet, Streaks of golden sunlight retreat When sounds of water splash – a dulcet

  • Opinion: Ethiopia and Tigray

  • Africa’s Strongest: The African Dung Beetle

    Prepare to be amazed by what you are about to read. I decided to write about this excellent weightlifting beetle because of the sheer strength it demonstrates. Yeah, the dung beetle feeds off other animal waste, and it’s common to see them roll it across the countryside with such force that one can’t help but…

  • Video: Responsible Tourism

    We must educate everyone on responsible tourism.

  • Two Poems: Fly and Babies by Peniel Gifted

    FLY Fly little bird Through this sky of whites I want to watch The green wings, flapping. Fly high, even higher Like the bar-headed goose Your bod- blithe As I kiss the Jasmine Hugging from the sky. BABIES With them I sit- The people of Rainbow raiment. They tune in Jillion tunes Sketching a heart…

  • Autumn

    Autumn plays a game of colours Warm are painted trees and land Sweet are songs from her lovely birds With those two, she gave benevolently

  • Muse: Be Kind

    Is it not said that sweet fragrances cling to the palms of those who distribute roses? Be Kind.

  • Opinion: Leadership and Hypocrisy

    No change at all Nothing changes here. Even the nationwide protest that claimed many young lives didn’t lead to substantial change. I wonder what could persuade our leaders if the deaths of protesters haven’t. Every time I travel through this blessed state, I see nothing new; it’s heartbreaking that amidst abundance, we have nothing to…

  • Poem – Little Carnival

    Long train of soldier ants Aboard the swerving tree Several spiky leaves float When swarms of bees And flies waltz in sunlight, Beautiful birds tweet This little carnival was about The milk from a leaking coconut

  • Quotes on Fear

    Fear has a large shadow, but he himself is small. Ruth Gendler. FEAR is False Expression Appearing Real.

  • Sitting by Robin Bliss

    Sitting on this grassy knoll, Overlooking the vastness Of the vast open sea and A strip of aureate colored sand Hearing the gulls calling mournfully Seeing the breakers endlessly Crashing against the shore In the distance are islets Dark blue against the sky Beyond them, the boundless ocean Feeling quite relaxed and mellow Feeling at…

  • Muse: Stars within

    We dream of stars without, while a galaxy glitter within.

  • What is Love?

    Love is a tiny seed that grows silently and evolves into a tree. It’s green leaves, and strong branches give succor to all that run to its shelter. It’s kind and compassionate. Love knows no religion or tribe. It does not shame or get jealous. It dreams and, like birds, soar above all. It is…

  • Night Poem: Call

    Ever heard birds call out To the fast-falling night Across the glossy horizon As the setting sun sink? Ever waited for sunset To bring in pots, Take out warm mats And wait for moonlight? Slowly night falls here So ends the noisy day

  • Africa’s Deadliest Mammals

    Hippopotamuses have a deadly reputation. They can be huge, weighing up to 3,628 kilograms, and, though they live primarily on plants, they can be very aggressive. They are territorial and will fiercely protect their young. Hippos can use their enormous jaws to turn over small boats, which they mistake for crocodiles. With their sharp 30…

  • African Proverb: A Smooth Sea…

    A smooth sea does not make a skillful sailor. Background: The proverb is originally from Namibia. Significance: Life is like the sea: sometimes we get a gentle sea. But a peaceful sea never made a great sailor. Parents who always shield their child from challenging situations will, in the end, have an idiot of a…

  • Night Poem – Starry Night

    One night, two flasks, A room full of mild wind, A grey paw-licking cat, And a naughty parrot A story rising off the kettle As it goes on with its whistle Two tablespoons of sugar, Lettuce, beans, and cucumber, A very confused dinner Bat parade, Early night, coming cold A gust of breezy wind But…

  • Muse: Song in my Heart

    You are the song in my heart The moments I crave within

  • African Proverb: However black a cow is…

    However black a cow is, the milk is always white – Gambian Proverb Background Traditionally, Gambia is an agrarian society. The country which falls in a fertile valley keeps a lot of farm animals, cattle being the predominant livestock. Senegal borders the state, from the north down to the south. Senegambia, a short-lived confederation was…

  • Muse: Rendezvous

    I’ll wait, By the stream path Where road parts Gather beneath The baobab Where all life began

  • Hibiscus by Elizabeth Amarachukwu Okafor

    Red petals, green tan Three singing hornets And a happy, happy sun Hovering above the scent Marrying my words with yours is so good a hibiscus. Scenting every phrase with juice

  • Folklore: Tortoise and The Spirits 1

    Growing up Growing up was fun. School holidays took me to the countryside, where I was acquainted with folklore life. I have done strange but funny things like wearing a girl’s skirt to play with other children (that’s a story for another day), returning to the stream to bury a dead crab I killed, attempted…

  • Quote: Life Is A Circle

    Life is a circle, and stories take us all around it. © Oke Iroegbu

  • Colours of Nature

    Autumn is a second spring when every leaf becomes a flower.

  • I stand beautiful – Poetry

    Memories fade, distanced more Yet apart we wade, off Tears are part of the roles And distrust has become one too Your words still cut through I’m assured that love went wrong I was rock but you made me gold So I offer this little flower token In appreciation to your absentia love I always…

  • Deshauna Barber

    Resilience is key to success. A resilient person through series of failures, disappointments and tough experiences build character and important virtues like confidence, patience, and empathy. Watch Deshauna discuss how being resilient molded her into what she became today. She has a simple message for us: Never give up. 💚 Credit: Goalcast

  • Nairobi

    This is Nairobi, Kenya’s capital and most populated city. The city is also known as The Green City in the Sun and Safari is just a few kilometres ride away. There are museums and parks in the city. Uhuru Park and Nairobi Botanical Garden is an excellent place to relax. When you consider places to…

  • Plant A Tree by Sir David Attenborough

    If the heat bothers you plant a tree If the water bothers you plant a tree If you like fruits, plant a tree If you like birds, plant a tree And if you like life, plant many trees

  • Petition: Global Ban On Illegal Wildlife Trade

    The global trade of wild animals is cruel and puts our health and the world economy at risk from pandemics like COVID-19. Join in calling on African Governments to support and champion a global ban on the wildlife trade. Tell global leaders to act now to protect wildlife, our health, and the planet before it’s…

  • The Devoted Friend from Project Gutenberg

    One morning the old Water-rat put his head out of his hole. He had bright beady eyes and stiff grey whiskers and his tail was like a long bit of black india-rubber. The little ducks were swimming about in the pond, looking just like a lot of yellow canaries, and their mother, who was pure…

  • Story about the Tongue

    Once, a chief told one of his servants to bring him the best meat from the market. The servant brought him a tongue. The next day the chief told the servant to bring him the worst meat from the market. The servant brought a tongue again. “What?” the chief said. “When I ask for the…

  • Quote on Greatness

    “You cannot plant greatness as you plant yams or maize. Whoever planted an Iroko tree — the greatest tree in the forest? You may collect all the Iroko seeds in the world, open the soil and put them there. It will be in vain. The great tree chooses where to grow and we find it…

  • Poetry – Safari

    We may do many things Out in the sunny African noon: Take a swim, gather fruits, Talk to nature or sing with it, Dance to live drum beats And eat skewered suya meat Anything that makes life fun And all that makes us nature bond We may have sun-flies on our trail Or pluck the…

  • Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

    Chinua Achebe was born on November 16, 1930, in Ogidi, Nigeria.”The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them.” — Chinua Achebe, THINGS FALL APARTABOUT THINGS FALL, APART THINGS FALL APART tells two overlappings, intertwining stories centered around Okonkwo, a “strong man” of an Igbo village in…

  • Thought on Compassion

    Always remember that we are considered human when we show kindness to all that Providence placed under our care, and when we love others as we are born compassionate beings.

  • Suicide – Poetry

    Failure defeats losers but inspires winners Is it not odd When life turns Blurry, vague, With memories of Disappointments, breakups, Death, and great failures? If pain greets the weary, Life like salt may lose its taste Instincts then question life: Its meaning and reason Daring it to find another In a world away from the…

  • Quote: Think and Act Differently

    Let’s think and act differently every day. Let’s spread some love – Oke Iroegbu.

  • Opinion: A Sitting Time Bomb

  • Igbo Proverb: Sound of The Bitter Cola

    Igbo: Ùda akùilu abùghí ùtō ya English: Bitter Cola doesn’t taste like its sound (literally). Background: Just like the name, bitter cola is a very bitter fruit! Sometimes I do wonder why it’s not called a ‘very bitter cola.’ Alongside the kola nut and garden egg, it is commonly used as a ‘welcome fruit’ in…

  • African Wonders 4: The Pharos of Alexandria

    The Pharos of Alexandria was a lighthouse completed in about 280 BC and was used to warn ships of the rocks surrounding the port of Alexandria, Egypt. The building measured over 110 metres to the top. During the day polished bronzed mirrors reflected the sunlight, and at night a fire burned that could be seen…

  • The Crow and The Rabbit

    A Crow was sitting on a tree Doing nothing all day. A small Rabbit saw the Crow, And asked him, ‘Can I also sit like you And do nothing all day long?’ The Crow answered: ‘Sure, why not.’ So, the Rabbit sat on the ground Below the Crow, and rested. All of a sudden a…

  • African Wonders 3: The Great Pyramid

    The Great Pyramid at Giza, Egypt is both the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one still around today. It was built for King Khufu who died in about 2465BC and is said to have taken thousands of men 20 years to construct. According to Herodotus, an Ancient Greek…

  • Sohana’s Little Poem

    She hears the sun cry. Only a sky full of pain. Her mind becomes crowded, and she remembers her country. Sohana penned these words for her #Rohingya friends. v/@unicefbd #TeamEurope #EUSolidarity #StrongerTogether https://t.co/ekPp1DBUd3

  • The Man Who Never Lied

    Hi everyone! How was your day? I have a story to share. So bring your seats and mats to the fireplace, listen attentively and may the nightingales sing us a lullaby when we retire to bed. Once upon a time there lived a wise man by the name of Mamad. He never lied. All the…

  • Muse: Town

    I came to town Where nights are cold And stray cats walk it, Where playing street children Kick oval leather around But return hungry to mothers, I see glittering stars Shine from afar Nothing lights night better I see men in huge cars Puff smoke into air Through engines and mouths I detest their folly…