Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Author: Oke Iroegbu

  • Quote on Courage

    I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. Nelson MandelaAt a time colonial forces and indigenous South Africans fought over land rights and freedoms, a courageous man spoke up for his…

  • Poem: Man and Nature

    It is pleasant to sit in the green wood, and to watch the Sun in his chariot of gold, and the Moon in her chariot of pearl. Sweet is the scent of the hawthorn, and sweet are the bluebells that hide in the valleys and the heather that blows on the hill. Yet love may…

  • Muse: The Happy Wind

    Poem: The Happy Wind Greet the happy wind, Tell him when I waved My fingers got him bursted When morning dew is upon the tree line The sky is sometimes blue and grass is green Far up the blue horizon the sun shine Birds sing from the trees all morning Yet the happy wind: timid…

  • Quotes on Resilience

    You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ Joel Osteen. A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose. John Maxwell. I love the light for it shows me the way to…

  • Poem: Sail away

    Evening skies – sparkle of gold, Brewing mills across the clouds, While it may sail to faraway lands

  • Reflection: Counting the Costs 1

    At times, you need to stop everything you are doing to sit alone and mend your broken wings. Cold evening and a to-do list I sit outside on a cold evening. There’s a community of crickets chirping through the grassland. A gust of wind brushes my face, causing my helpless lamp to sway back and…

  • African Proverb: Be Nice

    Be nice to everyone. You never know who your in-laws are going to be. We won’t know who can be of help tomorrow. Compassion and kindness are great virtues. It can open greater doors! Ponder on this and have a goodnight. 💕

  • Quote on Love

    Of all the magic in the world, none is more powerful than love. …And that’s if we accept that any other thing qualify as magic. Love is a driving force. It can change things; perceptions and imaginations. Great achievements are accomplished through it. Great writers wrote about it. It’s something beautiful to love. Imagine what…

  • Thoughts: I Wonder

    Sometimes it’s hard to stop a rolling stone, but whenever it may roll, it always seems to find its way back home. Brett Boyett Home Forever Dear motherland, I’m proud to call you my home. I’m reminded of sunset; it tells that it ends where it began. From tree branches on the hilly countryside, I…

  • Quotes on Helping Others

    1. Nothing makes life sweeter than making people happy. 2. The people you help today become your soldiers in the battle of life tomorrow. 3. To invest in properties is good, but to invest in people is far better. 4. To make money, make people. 5. Your greatest trophies are the tears you wipe away…

  • Poetry: I’ll Wait

    Love can be crazy Yet I am amused I try to figure the words You pelt me with, When we spoke of love It was zenith of all, everything Days and nights It fell in and out Maybe this was right, I look farther away Towards sunrise A pint of love on my breast And…

  • Folklore: The Hippo and His Seven Wives

    I heard the Wind tell this story Storyteller: Ifochakpii! Audience: Waa!!! Storyteller: Gather my friends. It’s time to tell a story. It’s time also to hear a tale. Gather by the fireside, warm yourselves. Bring the little ones to the center. Keep them more hospitable for the night, and her cold hands are nigh. Sit…

  • Muse: Look in my eyes

    Look into my eyes See how special you are Feel my heart jump with joy And that is because you are here

  • Selflessness

    Someone is an answer to your prayers as you are to others Seasons: Things just don’t happen One beautiful thing about life is: there are seasons for everything so things just don’t happen. Everything happens to serve different purposes. Even in nature there are seasons. There are times for flowers to blossom, time for the…

  • Poem: Twilight

    Beginning and end Light after dark Dark before light Darkened skies With dancing fireflies Breezy evening Joyful moonlight And glittering stars A shepherd’s lore Down the country Sheep and goats, Green and gold, Patches of life, Water and fire, Dust and wind, Heaven and earth All in fine contrast But happy unison Shallow roots shoot…

  • Beirut

    Beautiful Beirut and AUB I’m writing about this lovely Mediterranean city because of my connection and attachment to it. I’ve seen several YouTube videos of it’s beautiful landscape and neighborhood. Beirut combines the tranquil setting of ancient history with the thrill of a modern city. I followed some Beirut based vlog channels and it’s always…

  • Night Poem: Stars Glitter

    I watch pretty stars glitter From this fine little window, When night a perfect picture Hung across the wide horizon Fireflies dance around light bulbs Mighty shadows cast upon my paper Distracting a work full of life and art Yet I stare out to behold stars glitter

  • Tender Love by Njabulo N.

    Wasn’t my love enough for you? In my mind I had concluded that you loved only me, I thought you were cut from a different cloth, Like you were not the same like everyone I’ve met. But clearly, I was lying to myself, You loved everybody like a campaigning candidate. I could tell from my…

  • Opinion: Leadership Woes

    Admitting imperfections are great ways to becoming a better person, people and leaders. City of Talents and Resilient people I was born and raised in Ogbor hill, a suburb of Aba, a city in Southern Nigeria. Aba is known for its industry and export of labour to many Nigerian cities and overseas. The city is…

  • Keeping Valuable Relationships

    Sometimes those who crown kings don’t look like kings and may never become kings but they can help one wear the crown. A short story There was a poor man who wrote a book at the age of 40 and decided to launch it on his birthday. He had no money to fund the launching…

  • Story: Be there for someone

    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 take a guess at what he thought was the correct answer. First time, his answer was: “The ears.” The mother replied:…

  • The Winds Asunder

    Dark clouds slowly grow and gather, The fast wind starts her grim asunder, Along her path, she flung away things; rooftops and paper So that unhappy owners may come looking for them later

  • Quotes on Unity

    When spiders unite they can tie down a lion – Ethiopian Proverb. None of us is as smart as all of us – Ken Blanchard.

  • Mechanics of Savings: a Christian perspective

    Mechanics of Savings and Financial Intermediation Savings as described by financial analysts are the portion of income which are not used for consumption expenditures. They are referred to as investments, because huge portions of such savings in financial institutions constitute the capital extended to businesses, governments, individuals and other entities as loans. This is done…

  • 8 August: Birthday Wish

    Birthdays are rare They come once in a year Unique Birthday: A set of Eights! Ah, it’s today. 8th day of 8th month of the year 2020. I usually write poems or stories to celebrate but this year’s birthday is unique. So instead of a poem I’ll muse about the actual numbers that made my…

  • Muse: Nature’s Circus

    1 When you call, your sound rent through the wind Whispers, songs of the wild, emissary of mother Nature You send birds, they ‘caw-caw‘, they fly the blue clouds Making the skies their tuft, and you: their leisure 2 Green trees, red flowers, purple feathers, all in perfect unison You call to your own, you…

  • Tradition: Storytelling

    The African Storytelling Tradition When I, the storyteller, say: Ifochakpii! You, the audience, will reply, Waa!! (Pronounced as ‘War!’) This is the Igbo people’s storytelling tradition. There are different ways of introducing a story to the audience. To the Igbo people, it starts with a chant-like ranting that tries to capture all present attention. So…

  • Shadows – Poetry

    When shadows are seen around It shows gathering or dispersing, Dancing or wrestling, singing or talking. Shadows clone for good or evil As a hefty hoe till the soft soil Her shadow strikes things dead Under the moon’s watchful eyes on this land, Shadows of branches on the ground Were green trees during the noon…

  • Happy Belated Friendship Day

    – Friends are family we chose for ourselves. Didn’t forget I didn’t forget about the World Friends Day. I do write about friendship because it’s dear to me. I was extremely busy with personal and family errands. I also volunteer online for a company based in North America, and so had little time to pen…

  • August Poem

    August is a beautiful month and my month of birth. In seven days time I’ll be a year older. Have a beautiful month!

  • Igbo Language Alphabet

    This is to respond to your requests for a clearer, easy to read Igbo Alphabet, and we’ve come up with this, which we believe is simplified. It’s important to take your attention to the alphabet structure because it’s the key to unlock your understanding of this beautiful language. Twenty-seven distinct letters are contained in this…

  • Four Quotes on Humility

    Perfection is impossible without humility. Why should I strive for perfection, if I am already good enough? Leo Tolstoy. Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose. Bill Gates. True humility does not know that it is humble. If it did, it would be proud from the contemplation of…

  • Poets Corner: What is Love?

    Love As a growing Sunday School kid I learned a lot about love. Love can be defined when we explore it’s qualities or characteristics. Yet love is complex in every angle you chose to view it from. It is a mix of emotions, behaviours, and beliefs associated with strong feelings of affection, protectiveness, warmth, and…

  • Flight to Summer – Poetry

    There’s a symphony of joy, See it roar up bright skies! Emissaries of the aging day Graceful flights over Africa! * It float above the countryside Leaving to fresh, green fields, Above those endless forests Where hope still lived ahead * Each journey is to an unknown promise, Somewhere between joy and pain But fly…

  • Courage

    The breadth of earth lay wet But the sun rise from the east, From vague sights and mists The dark jungles, hot and serene Yet lions stride through the green Fearing neither man or faun A shriek up the skies… Eagles soar high; many miles Hopes high, they seeth thru’ times The wind surfs wild…

  • Sunset in Ovim

    I stand by these rocks and hills, ancient To enjoy again a beautiful moment of sunset I’ve a new song to sing each time I behold the sun set A song sang by my father and his father’s father A song that echo through the hills, Like smoke dispersing from mills, Ancient like mud where…

  • Muse: Let good paths…

    Memories become tales untold Hope are dreams in soft shield If all passes into a sort of legend Then let good paths never fade

  • Reflection: Power in Unity

    Grandma’s Cooking Stove Grandma was a good cook. I always enjoyed her meals when I was a little boy. School holidays were fun for me because I had to travel home to her. She contributed immensely to those happy times. (God rest her soul.) Whenever she made her delicious soup, I usually sat by her…

  • Rain drops on the Glass

    I love the sound of rain when it hit my windowsWhen multitude of rain drops descend from the sky, Splattering, crushing the Earth’s crust, moulding her clay, Throwing up sweet scents, one unaccustomed to man The beats create a regular rhythm that may turn to a song, Caressing window panes, pushing mild airs upon them,…

  • Amuse: A Letter to the Squirrels Living in my Roof

    New landlords Okay guys, I traveled to my country home or just say my village. I was welcomed by squirrels racing on the rooftop. I thought it was a cat at first but cats don’t fly on tree branches. I finally saw one skinny squirrel holding his chin. It wouldn’t wait for me to get…

  • Stars – Poetry

    When I wait under the old mango tree I count the glittering stars far away And laying on soft sandy soil I get a better glimpse of the dark skies The wind is my guest, She rent her cold self to me, She whispers tunes of nature And drag tree leaves to fan me, It’s…

  • Another Tale from the Wild Woods

    There’s a land behind those ancient hills Hidden in the thick greened forest, One of mighty foliage, brushes & roots Dark green shrubs gather by the riverside Ripe fruits plunge into the quiet waters And fish schools scatter in excitement Brown and black crabs meet to get drunk Squirrels watch them, amused from treetops The…

  • To my childhood…

    I like to watch the sun rise, to wait while she cast her beauty on earth, So I wake early to fly my kite, to gather the stray bugs, worms and locust, The fields are my playground, a partner to hides and seek, I watch the sun, her golden smile, and light it brought to…

  • Quote: Dream big

    You’ll never know… Just dream. Dream big.

  • Poetale: The Nomad

    When twilight came I took a walk, for some air And down the roadside I went. There a young man stood Bearded heavily unlike myself Throwing corn seeds into his mouth And grinding them with such relish That his brown teeth showed off He stood a little close to my fence And I decided to…

  • eSwatini, Kingdom of (with images)

    eSwatini: meaningThere’s an African country with a name that sounds similar to Switzerland. Swaziland now eSwatini has its name changed to celebrate its 50 years of independence from Great Britain. eSwatini means land of the Swazis or a place for the Swazi. In April 2018, King Mswati, the third announced the change. eSwatini is sandwiched…

  • The Traveling Musicians

    Gather around the fire and read this story with me. It’s a long bedtime tale. An honest farmer had once a donkey that had been a faithful servant to him a great many years, but was now growing old and every day more and more unfit for work. His master therefore was tired of keeping…

  • Before Moonshine

    Just before moonshine Three little mice ran, Up the hills they went Six pairs of legs fast, Working tirelessly Towards safe solitary, Away from barn owls And every lurking evil This poem was inspired by A. D.

  • Winter Love by Robin Bliss

    Looking at the plum tree. Seeing the dark bare, Skeleton like branches, Black against the dreary clouds. Stripped by Winters cold, Of its blanket of leaves. The ashen, dingy clouds. Are dripping raindrops. This fine misty rainfall. Is moved forwards by a, Languid, lethargic breeze, Coming strait from Antarctica. This bitterly cold midwinter day. But!…

  • Hope a poem by Ashok Gupta

    If winter comes can spring be far behind? Without hope, patience is not worth a dime! All that seems wise has already been said A hundred times. Let it stand alone Without the need of a guise. Evaluate it then within the recesses of your own mind. All thoughts need some context to be meaningful…