Okechukwu’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Author: Oke Iroegbu

  • Muse: For you…

    Light will be my sweet, loving words With your faith I will stand my ground, For when I look into your pretty grey eyes I behold a warrior, your happiest desire! You are my delicate flower bud For you, I will sing and stand guard Songs, poetry and lavender perfumes, All my muse, my all…

  • African Myths 2

    I biala. That’s Igbo for ‘you are welcome.’ Tonight I will be updating my post on African myths. So sit tight and read some of Africa’s do’s and don’ts! Have you heard that you shouldn’t call a 🐍 by name during night time? Well, we were told that if you do, a 🐍 will visit…

  • African Folktale: the Crows and the Cuckoo

    It is evening here and I feel like telling you a story. Bring your mat, come sit with me outside, by the fireside and let us enjoy the night breeze. Once upon a time there lived a set of Crows which plundered farms. Each day the farmers try to catch the Crows to no avail,…

  • Thoughts on Family

    Sometimes things change, but we begin and end with the family. Family is everything. It’s the final bus stop for every one. Please think of the prodigal son who returned to his father when he lost everything. Here are some notes on what to do to keep positive relationships with your family members. Don’t let…

  • Sharing the Love (with Franklin Onuoha for Charles Iroegbu)

    Happy birthday big brother. I have joined with Franklin Onuoha to dedicate this to you. I give credit to Franklin for the Title. We wish you greatness, peace, happiness and love. We celebrate you. Sharing The Love: If I would chose three Of people and things To take with me on a journey You will…

  • As he thinketh…

    Know that whatever you will become is a function of your thoughts. We are what we think. With our thoughts we make our world. What you picture in your mind, your mind will accomplish for you. Consider the image above. While the world saw a cat, the cat saw himself a Lion! We could be…

  • Dreaming of Summer

    Summer is a dreamers tale, told in advance In this dream; grasses are green and squirrels dance Summer is the song of comfort in the hearts of many It refreshes, renews and brings solace to the wary Summer is the wild flower growing by the roadside An adorable fragrance from shrubs, sweet and mild Summer…

  • Positive Attitude to Life

    Life unfolds in minutes and seconds. There is no such thing as a bitter end, because an end marks the start of something new. Learn from mistakes and keep moving forward. By the way, only the living can make mistakes. So, be grateful for life. Life is like a building that can be renovated and…

  • Leadership: Is Education Really Worth It?

    I debated the relevance of education in Africa. So I will weigh my thoughts on a pendulum. If the pendulum swings to yes, I wonder why we have educated Africans who make little or no effort to enhance the social and economic well-being of the continent. I wonder why people with academic zeal are not…

  • Excursion: Coke with Primates

    An excursion it was to the Songhai Zoological Garden, Owerri, Nigeria. The weather was mild and sunny. Our bus rode through the dusty hills leading to the garden. The dust followed the bus for miles. Now those hills stood ageless like a wallpaper surrounded by green forests. I can still picture it all. On the…

  • Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships 2020

    Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships are for candidates from low and middle income Commonwealth countries, to undertake full-time taught Master’s study at a UK university. Funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development, and are aimed at those…

  • Let’s Tour the Alkebulan by Abdurrazaq Mubaraq Adebayor

    Come walk with me to African blessed abode, To see the wondrous beauty the Earth has bestowed; We’ll bask in the surreal splendor that surrounds us, And listen to nature composing the streets hustle and bustle, As car honks and random disc jokey tootles across the street, Sending our minds wandering into a poet’s lovely…

  • Muse: Lullaby

    What is the sound of lullaby to you? Is it the touch of raindrops on rooftops Or the mild, soothing voice of love? Will it be a swift palm upon a light drum Or the Sparrow singing her heart away? To me, lullaby is a touch to the soul What the body is too heavy…

  • Making most of Love 1

    Singles and doubles, you can recall how it felt, loving someone especially when it was reciprocated. I always wanted to share a thought on creating happiness for loved ones. Here it goes. Your spouse should be the first point of joy and happiness. Celebrate each day you spend with him/her. Always tell them how happy…

  • A Shepherd’s Song

    Evening airs are comfort to a tired soul, Which all morning was submerged in wool, Cuddled by cute lamb, fresh and beautiful. Up in the skies, glittering stars play their role Stories of the giraffe and the moon they tell, How the giraffe ate the sickly moon half! As the Shepherd lay down on the…

  • Dear South Africa

    Righteousness exalts a nation.

  • Celebrating Talent: Damilola Ajayi

    I thought about celebrating good and talented people. Here we go, the first person in the series! Permit me to introduce this pretty, humble, enterprising young lady. She is Damilola Ajayi, from Ekiti state in Nigeria. When I first met Dami in 2017, I wasn’t so sure of what to expect from her. As I…

  • Why I decided to let go

  • Poetry of Faith

    Mine is a poem from the heart, A voice in the desert Calling Listen to the truth Have some faith!

  • Persevere

    The fisher who draws in his net too soon Won’t have any fish to sell The child who shuts up his book too soon Won’t learn any lessons well If you would have your learning stay Be patient – don’t learn too fast The man who travels a mile each day May get round the…

  • Why you should visit Africa 2

    Do you find happiness and healing in natural things? Do you get inspiration from your natural environment? Do you like hanging out with the wild and getting blessed with views of a beautiful land? Maybe you love to watch the young deer gallivant through the Veldt. Then a visit to Africa will do. I, for…

  • The Lion King, with short video

    When you hear of Africa, what comes to your mind? Forests and Kingdoms, Lions and Elephants, Happy and sad people? I decided to share a live performance of the song ‘He lives in me’ from the movie Lion King, to show the artistry, talent and creativity that exists in Africa. Africans in the music and…

  • God as Poetry Editor By David Thane Cornell

    He dips His pen in the black hole of night To recover an image and give it more light Sometimes He uses a digital pad Revising the first idea He had Editing in and out of time Honing the meter and smoothing the rhyme He deftly spells and abbreviates Cities, town, mountains and lakes The…

  • Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2020

    Are you a writer or do you know someone who is? This is an amazing opportunity to submit your work to the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. The Commonwealth Short Story prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words) in English. Regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives £5,000.…

  • African myths

    Do you know that in Africa there are many ridiculous myths and beliefs? This is not Voodoo or any kind of mystery. Myths do exist. Most times, they are used to scare children, to refrain children and young adults from being rude, behaving wildly or disobeying their parents or elders. So let’s define a myth…

  • Fly High September

    I really thought for awhile before coming up with this. I did this sketch in September 2016. I’m not the best, when it comes to drawing. I just stumbled on it and decided to share it. Welcome to another rainy month, if you ever had encounters with mosquitoes then you can relate. It rained yesterday,…

  • Why you should visit Africa

    If you are in rural Africa, you will be very lucky to witness events you may never see anywhere else in the world when the sun sets! The sunrise brings joy. Dew, heaven’s water, gathers on rooftops, tree leaves, and grasses. The sun may stay for a while, but it can rise as early as…

  • Everybody has got a past

    Everybody has got a past It may be a dark one, Or one so bright That it shines even in sun down Everybody has got a past But we needn’t remember, Unless the bad went to worst Or if the goodness got better

  • Thoughts on Loneliness 4

  • Thoughts: Friends or Foes?

    In the world of folklore, it is believed that rodents inside the house inform rodents outside where the fish basket is hidden. This idea also applies in real life. Only those who know you well or are close to you can potentially harm you with the information they possess. Sometimes we feel betrayed and get…

  • Reintroducing the Legend of Wawadomea

    1 Now I write you a piece of my heart, tonight In the growing Harmattan and her temperament I am cut in two- halved in your Providence One for your happiness, another for Your happiness 2 This piece of heart tells a tale of the sea folk a story of survival, a war of loneliness…

  • Chevening Awards 2020

    Chevening scholarships enable outstanding emerging leaders from all over the world to pursue one-year master’s degrees in the UK. Whilst there is no ‘typical’ Chevening Scholar, they are looking for the kind of people who have the passion, ideas, and influence to provide the solutions and leadership needed to create a better future. Since 1983,…

  • Thoughts: Look Within

    The pangs of unemployment scar Africa. Things shift from bad to worse. Essentials like good education, healthcare, clean water, and equal opportunity seem to slip out of our grasp. These things may have fallen apart. What is the remedy to reverse this trend? While African universities produce more graduates, the economy cannot absorb them all…

  • Amuse: Little flower

    Dear Little Flower sitting, On the wooden plate I can’t help but wonder Why you glow, so red, Will it be, the squirrel Asked you out And now, you’re red with blush?

  • Thoughts on Africa 3: Education

    Research is a careful inquiry or examination to seek or revise facts, principles, theories, applications, etc.; a persistent search for truth. Interestingly, the definition ends with the search for truth. Besides broadening human thinking, research aims to discover the reasons and reasons not. The study offers solid recommendations and suggestions that can help solve problems.…

  • You and I…

    You and I… Is my idea of a team Together, against odds, In ups and downs, Greatness and littleness, Plenty and scarcity You and I… Is my idea of love Our wish, against all odds, My help and friend My muse and madness One whose joy makes me happy

  • WordPress.com August promo

    The last time I spoke with a friend, I told him the Internet is the greatest marketer of all times. This is the glaring truth. Most businesses seeking global clients can get this online. No flights, no traveling, no stress! The major way to start off, is to create a website and then social media…

  • Thoughts: Keep your circle small

    He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Proverbs 13:20 Your company can support or hinder you. The people you surround yourself with can either ruin your dreams or help you fulfill them. Think about the story of Joseph and his brothers. The brothers planned to…

  • Four Nature Poems with Deborah Nnagbo, Shawny Johnson and Franklin Onuoha

    Ogbunike Cave by Deborah Nnagbo There it lies with an open mouth, Basking in the unadulterated air of tradition. Bidding me to come in unto her, Inside the sacred forest guarding the glory of a race. Slowly, I tiptoed into natures edifice. With eyes clothed with wonder. I could not but see the finger of…

  • African tales by Moonlight

    Living in the countyside was fun. I can’t forget the numerous activities/events I participated in. I remember the rodent hunting, farm work, fruit catching, swimming in the streams, wrestling fights and the night tales. My favorite was the night tales which was something else. How I love to sit in the warmth of other kids,…

  • The Wrong Way

    I sit by the cliff edge To watch the lights go out And one by one they went Nothing made sense As we live in disguise, Resting, Relaxing, Recessing, Recouping? From all our disastrous efforts But are we prisoners of earth? Do we have to let everything be? If I write alone, no one will…

  • Thoughts on Love

    Love is an intense feeling of affection and cares towards another person. The English dictionary defines it as a deep or abiding liking for something—a profound and caring attraction towards someone. Note the appearance of care and affection in all the definitions. Let’s read from the Bible to get a clearer picture of what love…

  • Tradition: Iri Ji Festival

    Let us pray (ka anyi kpe ekpere)Nna anyi, we gather againTo celebrate the New Yam!The King of all cropsWhich you blessed us withThe crop whose soft tendrils crawl,Through our fine, fertile soilAnd carries with it abundance,Greatness, joy, peace and love!We celebrate the forests You tillOn our behalf,The greenery with shrubs and treesWith every fruit that…

  • Thoughts on Africa 2: Education

    The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the real goal of education. – Martin Luther King, Jr Education is vital for individual, community, and national growth. It is a key tool that can drive social, economic, and political transformation across Africa.…

  • Thoughts on Happiness 2

    Happiness is contagious. Happiness is like a light bulb in a dark room. It does not shine in a corner but lights the whole room. Note that happiness is not a function of material fulfilment. Peace, joy, cheerfulness, contentment, happiness and gratitude are classed as a family. This family work as a team. If you…

  • Muse: The African Bride

    ‘I will never leave you! I will deh with you…’ He said, Tears rolled, freely She wept As her face went red It was clear he meant it, His words cut her open She must believe So he went away To fight in the World War When he returned to Africa, It was, with a…

  • A poem of Happiness

    Grin Gift your hair your hands This is a great feeling… Life!

  • New Media Writing: Open for 2019 entries!

    The NMWP has attracted entries from the very best and most innovative writers in the field, from all around the world. For the 2019 competition there will be four prizes: The if:book UK New Media Writing Award, the Unicorn Student Award, the Dot Award, and the Digital Journalism Award. To read more and submit your…

  • Thoughts on Happiness

    Happiness is a state of the mind. Joy, cheerfulness and a state of prosperity. When you are happy it affects activities (the environment) around you. It shakes away negativity and gloom. Happiness is when you don’t worry much on materiality. Contentment is related to happiness. When you are content with what you have then you…

  • Tell the Stars

    Tell the stars To dress the skies For there’s a banquet coming, And everything must be in order, Every dark cloud must be lighted So let there be light