Okechukwu’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Author: Oke Iroegbu

  • 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

  • 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 birth month. 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

  • Muse: Let good paths

    Memories become tales untold Hope is dreams in a 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 lying on soft sandy soil I get a better glimpse of the dark skies. The wind is my guest, She rents her cold self to me. She whispers tunes of nature And drags 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 sunrise, waiting as she casts her beauty on earth. So I wake early to fly my kite and gather stray bugs, worms, and locusts. The fields are my playground, a partner in hide-and-seek. I watch the sun, her golden smile, and the light it brings to my community. I adore…

  • 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…

  • Divine Grace by Rajan Varghese

    Embracing beauty and power Musical melodies of divine excellence Grace and smile composed By the finest artist in brilliance Destiny follows you like God’s will Man often ordained as master of his own work and destiny to receive honour And power! As the divine grace granting new life with a new name and blessings! Like…

  • African Zebra

    An extraordinary land Africa is a land of diversity and breathtaking beauty. From the rising golden sun to swiftly flowing rivers and peaceful, grazing black wildebeest across the brown and green savannah, you can always catch a glimpse of nature’s beautiful paradise. And nature has a way of healing everything… If you ever get the…

  • Legacy: Larry or Harry?

  • Love Poem: Let’s 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…

  • Art of Divine Poetry By Bhagirath Choudhary (Translated to Italian, Filipino, Albanian, French, Romanian, Spanish, Serbian)

    Art of Divine Poetry Poetic imagination Praises beauty of creation Giving words and voice To every human nation Poet feels the pulse By his poetic impulse Bard’s heart resonates With loving sonnets. Loving poetic spell When rises well The ordinary mortal Becomes divine poetry portal. With sacred passions Poets dress up naked nations Bards like…

  • Abraham Lincoln’s Story

    Abraham’s Humble Story When Abraham Lincoln became the president of America, his father was a shoemaker. Naturally, egoistic people were very much offended that a shoemaker’s son should become the president. On the first day, as Abraham entered to give his inaugural address, just in the middle, one man stood up. He was a very…

  • Cranky Old Man: Anonymous Poet

    A brief intro When an old man passed away in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian rural town, it was thought that he had nothing of value left. Later, as nurses sorted through his modest belongings, they discovered this poem. Its depth and message so moved the staff that they made…

  • Poets Corner: What have you gained writing Poetry?

    Poetry Poetry is a composition in verse or language, exhibiting conscious attention to patterns. The bolded are crucial to understanding the true nature of poems. Poetry has been in existence for centuries. As an art that survived centuries, I was curious to find out why lyrics are written for so long. And to those who…

  • Tale of Wild Woods: Summer Arrives

     When summer finally came, a lot had changed The last snow melted and the sad land woke Grasses started growing, covering the outer earth So those who burrow scrambled out from the dust Soft airs and tidings surround the mountainside Sending sweet emissaries around the valley below Vines, myrrh, mistletoes and pines sprout happily…

  • Self Confidence

    When you believe in yourself anything is possible. Why not? If you are lucky enough to find your passion, then how could giving up be an option? Giving up means accepting a lifetime of wondering what could have happened if you just believed in yourself enough to follow through. It doesn’t matter how fast or…

  • July Wishes

    Dear Friends, I’m grateful that we made it to July 2020. You’ll agree the year has been stressful. I hope you’re well and keeping safe. Don’t be anxious; things will make sense soon, and we’ll live to testify. A few hours before the new year, I made a wish to see a happy me in…

  • Igbo (African) Proverbs

    Hello there! This is a post on selected Igbo proverbs. I wrote in the Igbo language, translated into English, and then gave its meaning. I did a blog post on sayings used in the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe sometime ago. You can access it here. Have a great day! 1. Igbo: Nwaanyi…

  • Gilded Rays by Robin Bliss

    The slender gilded rays Of Winter sunshine, Brightens up this room. Where I sit writing. Hitting glassy surfaces, Of bottles,glistening. Feeling the warmth pleasantly, Warming my arms and legs. Your love my dearest, Is just as these beams. For your sweet tenderness has, Lightened up my dullness, And the warmth of your, Gentleness has captivated…

  • Haiku: Home

    Night fall dreams A ride through moonshine Home may tell tales

  • Modern Scramble for Africa

  • Writing a Poem by David Thane Cornell

    Writing a poem is like picking flowers in a minefield. Lay down your life spread-eagled, so that the grass, sharp as syllables, won’t cut you. Let your fingers test the soil. Don’t tug at the roots. Seize adjectives for hostages, negotiable at the border between war and peace, leading you all the way back to…

  • Path to Harvest – Poem

    Joy is fruit blossomed in the heart of farmers Their smiles are meshed with toil and sweat, Patch of earth print upon their faces And on shoulders they carry huge baskets Marching towards the fields, when it is harvest… Fields are ripe, and trees are heavy with fruit Birds sing from tree tops, monkeys dance…

  • Poets Corner: What Is Beauty?

    JUST A LITTLE STORY Let me tell you a little story. I remember a picture story of a man that sat close to a girl in a park. The first image portrayed the man as ugly, dressed in unbuttoned black shirt, with all manner of rings, deep scars and tattoos. The pretty girl was dressed…

  • Reflection: The Virus and China

  • Opinion: The 2020 World University Rankings