Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Author: Oke Iroegbu

  • Poetry

    What are you good at? I believe poetry is one thing I can do even with my eyes closed in sleep. By the way, I love sleeping as well. Good night.

  • Africa Day 2024

    Image: Uniquenewsonline Song: Lebo M. Lion Sleeps Tonight Today, we celebrate Africa! I coined a short video from Lebo’s presentation of my favorite song.

  • Podcast: Oke’s Folklore Corner

    Yo friends! I hope everyone is doing great. I just started my folklore podcast channel. The intention is to discuss cultural forms such as proverbs, folktales, songs, and folklore. I would love your thoughts on the intro. Click here to listen. Thank you, and stay tuned for more. Warmly.

  • Nevadan Snowman

    I stood admiring the shores of the blue and beautiful Lake Tahoe on the Nevadan side. Around the corner was a snow park where mountains stood still carved out of the skies. The noon warmth kept the windy air in check. Hot rays from the sun cut deep through my sunglasses but I sit busy—working…

  • Quote on Hardwork

    Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often? Just remember you can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pocket — Arnold Schwarzenegger

  • Sunset and Misery

    Until When? It’s crazy times we live in. We just came out of COVID-19 to witness the world fall apart. I hope we survive the peace when it all ends and that we dare to look into people’s faces and say we tried our best to live in peace. We must learn to talk with…

  • Poem: Don’t Cry

    Don’t cry when the last coal burn outAnd the little flickering fire tries to stayDon’t cry around the noise of silenceEven when it’s so loud and deafeningDon’t cry when there’s a moonless nightWhen the cold hands of twilight threatenDon’t cry, my friend, when it seems it’s overLet it be; the sun will rise, so will…

  • Sunset at Moss Landing

    Moss Landing, CA Sunset reminds me of the need to rest, and ocean waves, their unison and sudden quietness, speak of taking breaks. The strong tides smash into the rock boulders, and the wind is busy throwing tantrums at the traveling sunset. My friends, always remember to take breaks and to make time for rest.

  • Muse: Moonlight 2

    You beautiful sphere of light I behold your face once again Fast falls the evening tide And you remind me of home That to everything that has a beginning There must someday come an ending That home calls from a long-distance That I can only wait and listen to its call I see you, mythical…

  • Eclipse Day

    It’s amazing how we can’t see it directly but need special equipment to. Do you now agree that there are a lot of things that happen that we are not aware of? Happy Eclipse Day.

  • Meditation

    What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like? My morning routine is primarily reflecting on events from the past, a tiny dose of pushups (though not consistent), and practicing gratitude for everything. During the first hours, I usually read uplifting books—motivational or spiritual, to start the day.

  • Ego

    Relationships often come to an end because of someone’s ego. Similarly, leaders’ egos have led countries to fight wars, causing innocent people to suffer and die needlessly. Sadly, in such wars, many soldiers who are people’s loved ones, such as husbands, wives, sons, and daughters, lose their lives as well. All this happens because people…

  • Learning To Say No

    How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals? Saying no to someone or something can be a tricky thing, especially when you are considerate of other’s feelings. However, learning to say no is necessary to keep a person from behaviors and lifestyles that can be harmful in the long…

  • Breaking Barriers

    You’re writing your autobiography. What’s your opening sentence? This is a true story—of hope and resilience, of dreams, aspirations, and experiences put together. My story aims to restore hope and encouragement in humanity and to emphasize the importance of selflessness and service to others.

  • Writing

    What experiences in life helped you grow the most? One thing that has helped me grow is creative and imaginative writing. I always enjoy expressing my thoughts on paper. One thing led to the other and I started this blog to share my poetry with the world. But it metamorphosed into something bigger. I have…

  • Destiny

    Do you believe in fate/destiny? Destiny is like day and nightWe get closer to itBut don’t see what’s nextSometimes there’s heavy mistOther times, there is sunlight

  • Be Yourself

    What advice would you give to your teenage self? Be wild and fearless, but be kind and genuine, be hopeful and honest, and be loving and compassionate. Do things that bring you joy, peace, and laughter. Work hard, also work smart. Make acquaintances, keep friends. Care for your well-being and that of your loved ones.…

  • Poetry: Moon

    Dear Moon—You beautiful ball of white light. I saw your smiling face this evening, and it reminded me of home. You stood—a shiny ball imposed on the fleeting night clouds. I see you as a myth, a floating phantom without legs. You swept—the streets and roads clean with your pretty light. Incredible, natural, unspoiled, immaculate,…

  • Kind People

    Who are your favorite people to be around? Kind people are my kind of people.

  • Quote: Love

    Travel—travel light, love—love unconditionally – Oke Iroegbu Happy Valentine’s Day.

  • Quote: Your People

    People who are your people are not just those who share the same values, experiences or color but people who want to see you succeed and become a greater version of yourself — Oke Iroegbu

  • Relationships

    Something on your “to-do list” that never gets done. I learned that there’s no perfect time to start a romantic relationship but I haven’t made effort to begin with. However, it’s a priority to me now.

  • Egusi Soup

    What’s your favorite thing to cook? Spicy, warm soups are delightful for me. Food is culture. Food is life, and I can go on dropping poetic lines about food. As a traditional person, I am a foodie who appreciates good food! I love traditional Igbo dishes like egusi, ede, ogbono, uha, and onugbu. Growing up,…

  • Fun Things

    List five things you do for fun. I like journaling, reading, watching NatGeoWild and Discovery, playing online games like UNO and traveling.

  • My First Name

    Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc. My first name is Okechukwu, which comes from the southern Nigerian Igbo tribe. It means my portion or share from God! Most Igbo names come from situations and experiences people have encountered. I can expand the name to: Okechukwunyerem!—which means the share I received from…

  • Dream Jobs

    What’s your dream job? I would love to be a writer and, indeed, working towards that. My writing started back in high school. Then, I liked playing with words and wrote poems of love. I’m also interested in becoming a travel blogger. It is a dream to travel around the world, particularly in Africa to…

  • A Good Leader

    What makes a good leader? What makes a good leader is their ability to have empathy and humility. By being humble, they put themselves last but not down. By having empathy, they put themselves in the shoes of others!

  • Weapons

    If you could un-invent something, what would it be? You will agree that weapons have caused more havoc on humankind and the environment. Sadly, even modern ones are being developed by man to destroy fellow man and nature.

  • Respect

    Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved? A listening ear is as good as a gift, but better—Oke Iroegbu One thing I have learned about love is that it goes hand in hand with respect and trust. To love means to put the happiness of others above ours, and it goes…

  • Lions

    What is your favorite animal? King of the African jungleWith a golden mane, beautifulGuileful, bones, and sinewsRoar from depths of your soulLet terrifying echoes ring through the hills

  • Social Media

    In what ways do you communicate online? Social media made writing and sharing written work easy As a writer in a social media era, I use many apps. Most times, it’s just posting on one app that is connected to many others. For instance, my Jetpack app is connected to X, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Facebook,…

  • Coke with Primates

    Think back on your most memorable road trip. This was an excursion I had with classmates in High School. It’s over a decade now, but the memories are alive. This is the report I wrote but with slight editing. I can see how much my writing voice has changed. Our excursion was to the Songhai…

  • Nuts

    What snack would you eat right now? I love nuts. They are crunchy, healthy, and tasty—not all are tasty. Except for kola nuts and bitter cola, which are chewy and bitter, all others are sweet or buttery. I like cashews, groundnuts, macadamia, and almonds!

  • Leader’s Frontline

    Come up with a crazy business idea. I had an idea some time ago. It wasn’t business anyway, just a random idea. Can we agree to let each warring nation have their presidents fight first before sending in the soldiers? Doing so will save many souls from unnecessary deaths because no leader will want to…

  • My Father’s Book Collections

    Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it? I was fond of my father’s book collections. Most of them I have read several times. The books were kept in the countryside, and each time I went home, I had something to read. The collection included Shakespeare and Oscar…

  • Travel the World

    What is your mission? It has been my dream to travel around the world—to see the sunset in different climes and nations, go up the peaks, sniff the pure air, watch the wildlife, swim with mild stream currents, dance with natives, smile at strangers, write stories of good places and people, dream, fall in love…

  • Don’t Worry, Just Live…

    What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life? We came orderly and will leave randomly I don’t think much about these life philosophies and concepts. I only want to do what makes me, my loved ones, and the people around me happy. At the end of it all, memories are…

  • Dance

    What could you do differently? I wish I could twirl and swirl precisely and rigorously to the beautiful rhythm in my soul. https://app.impact.com/secure/mediapartner/checklist/checklist-instance.ihtml?id=__9XpvYq1Sf0_skQuDpLLuQnDv3NE4u0lO#=_

  • Live and Let Live

    If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say? If I had a freeway billboard, I have these famous words written boldly on it—live and let live! If humans understand how sacred life is, it would be so hard to take one. Unfortunately, we live in a world that has gone crazy, and people…

  • Live in The Present

    Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why? I live in the present moment and try to make the most of it. I’m more productive, joyful, and grateful when I don’t worry about the past or the future. So I can say I’m in-between.

  • Unconditional Love

    What is the greatest gift someone could give you? The greatest gift I ever received was that of unconditional love — Oke Iroegbu It takes enormous courage, sacrifice, and strength to give one’s self to serve others.

  • University of California, Berkeley

    What colleges have you attended? Before heading to America for my master’s, I did my diploma and undergraduate education at Abia State Polytechnic and the University of Uyo, both in Nigeria. Currently, I’m completing my graduate education at America’s premier public institution—the University of California Berkeley. Cal, or UC Berkeley as it is called, is…

  • Overthinking

    What are your biggest challenges? Sometimes I just have to go out of my head and listen to my heart. That is my biggest challenge. Happy New Year everyone! Have a good one!

  • Muse: Love Again

    I want to hold your hands againTo look into your eyes, to say how I feel This is a muse that came to me. Love is beautiful. I dedicate this to all lovers out there.

  • Sunset—Nostalgia

    What makes you feel nostalgic? There’s that feeling of nostalgia when the sun drifts away from the hamlets, sinking, sailing through the clouds like a golden phantom, spherical like a child’s playball. Sometimes when it’s hot we wish away the sun and when it’s cold we wish the sun’s heat could warm our land. It’s…

  • Creative Writing

    How are you creative? I started this blog in 2012; I wasn’t sure what to make of it. However, I knew that I wanted to use it as an avenue to express my thoughts and creativity. Writing poetry and narrative essays also exhibited my creative pursuits and has been instrumental to my academic endeavors. Talking…

  • Friendship

    What relationships have a positive impact on you? Friends are family we chose for ourselves 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. I have friends who have contributed to my success in life. Many have offered…

  • Character

    Are you a good judge of character? Attitude is everything I don’t think anybody can judge a character perfectly. However, I’m convinced that character is a function of people’s relationships with others and their environment. For instance, a well-raised child knows how to respect others and to be kind to people and their environment. Such…

  • Great Mentors

    Describe a man who has positively impacted your life. I could write an epistle for this. I’m lucky to have mentors and professors who impacted me positively. They have been a beacon of hope for my research and academic endeavors. I have learned a lot in a few months through their guidance and supervision. I…

  • Writing

    What skills or lessons have you learned recently? I could summarize this prompt with a short poem: Writing is a useful ancient craftThat aroused my passion and museBy teaching me more about myselfIt had reminded me of my cleverness