Okechukwu’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Author: Oke Iroegbu

  • Poetale: The old man and the Garden

    Once upon my little hamlet When the mornings are quiet And the villagers all move out Some to the farms, some to the rivulets, Even though it rained the previous night I went to the garden in the morning The clouds were bright and sunny The wasps and bees were out hunting I saw an…

  • Psalm: The Stream flows…

    ” The Lord made the Heavens and Earth And all the creatures that walk on it He sends the airs and her comfort To my weary self, each dark night ” The hills above the ground The grasses grow upon it The Eagles whine up the sky And the blues paint the clouds Where the…

  • I am: Three poems of Okechukwu Iroegbu

    (1.) Hail the sun rises! Down from the hidden hills And up to the white clouds The rains have come upon us , And Mother Nature’s romance has begun. (2.) I am a rainmaker For the days are stuffy and hot And to the cold rains we must go I am a painter For each…

  • The Lords doing

    Who understands the Lords doings? Who can decipher all He can do? Man made money God made bees that made honey Man made electricity But Jehovah gave the light of the day Man made fans God made the winds and the storm Man made the torchlight Jehovah made the moon for the night Man solve…

  • Imaginations

    Imaginations… …Soars the skies With the fine Eagles …Paints the winds Red and sky blue …Watches the rising sun As she wakes fron the East …Tastes the grapes Along the green orchard …Dream a dream And believes in that dream …Rides the Wildebeest Across the Savannah …Fly kites Which turn out to be air planes…

  • Musing: Airy Night

    “I hear the wind come behind me As I sit, backing my open windows I hear the wind summon the rains And this time, night has fallen upon all” The wind tickles my true fancy It plays flutes like the Arabians Who try to wake a sleeping adder The nights grow quiet, I feel the…

  • My Momi’s day

    “I stand under the guava tree And dance my funny dance With one leg I hop like a mantis…” It is a beautiful morning, mother And today is a special one for you I remember the waters and lather When you washed me as a child The nights are always cold Even now I outgrown…

  • Musing: I wonder

    I wonder if it was a crime to love Or yet a sin to even try at all; But then memories sift into time Amazed to the worlds littleness, The world seeks after lust A shrug I must to this vanity To love oneself is true happiness But as the nights turn to days And…

  • The African mist

    1. The mists still settle upon the hamlet The hills, the vales and the green forests All is treacherously hidden in it One must tread very carefully, lest You step on a stray scorpion or serpent Or fall into a ditch or a fast flowing rivulet The morning took the place of the night And…

  • March’s Night Rain

    “Oh goodness it rains! The windows clap about And the curtains dance To the wooing songs Of the sweet airy Night” And I can feel the rain drops through the window And the smell of the new rain upon the dusty roof The curtains blow up and down my weary face All is cold, all…

  • Yesu, my love

    ”The sweet fragrances of the morning Has come to my nose and face Yesu masoyina, You made this possible! Even when I lay like a log of wood You came to wake my slumber Lord…” Now the mornings has come It is still dark but very warm With the morning, Divine providence I hear the…

  • Oke’s Poetale: The Duck Tale

    Once upon a blue quiet lake Beside a green florishing forest Lived a Duck and her chicks All day they waddle about Enjoying the peaceful serenity But a day came and the Duck Brought her chicks all around her ‘Quack quack Daak’ she began Turning to the nearest chick ‘You have been friends With the…

  • Musing: The Cricket and I

    “Weet weet weet… Weet weet!” I hear the screeching of the little cricket Calling to the quietness in my heart 1. As the light of the lamp fade slowly Then time brought back my memories For in my sweet and lonely reverie A desire come to me for some poetry 2. Left with the screeching…

  • March

    After the rains… The white clouds come forth The wetness settle on all Behind the quiet little huts Pots are filled with the waters Which the rain has brought And still the rain drops fall From the vertex of rooftops Whose head hung proudly The roads are muddy and slippery, Fine sand particles washed away,…

  • Tradition: The Rainmaker

    “I ask for the strength of the rain… Bring down the dark heavy cauldrons With all the gross, stalky condiments Maka agam eme ka miri zo n’ebe tata! (For I am about to conjure up a rain today!)” Chukwu Nnam… I want to make some rain today That is why I call upon Your Name!…

  • The First Rains

    “Tap-tap tap, tap tap… Tap! I hear the pat-pattering of the first rain drops As they fall in quiet, indifferent but solemn grace … From the comfort of my warm dear bed…” The heavy wind blew up the curtains Sending papers and nylons flying high The skies are grossly dark and faceless The wind blew…

  • The Violins of the Nights

    Now let’s have some evening breeze And with it let a tale about it be told Always the night is cold but noisy Creatures of the dark and creepy places Move about, bothering the peace of men The sounds of the night is strange But to some, it is a great acquaintance A reunion of…

  • Muse: Nature Inspired

    Life is all about finding what gives you happiness Fortunate for me, I found these in Natures embrace I love to live my life with what gives me abundant joy. Seeing live animals around and green plants upon the soil Watching the golden sun rise above the grey hills And the joyful memories that come…

  • Brothers with Fonuoha and Ciroegbu

    (i.) Laughter is a sweet wine She goes into the eyes Burning the desires of men Family is a nice paradise (ii.) Friendship is like a flying Eagle Flying above quiet blue waters In love there is no need for struggle Nothing like a sister or brother (iii.) Sometimes things and people change But nothing…

  • A Muse: The Locust and the Ant

    Now the Locust played about The comely sunny Summer, he minded not The Ant gathers leaves, grains and nuts For the clouds slowly but steadily go South The Snow Queen and all hue turn bright, All the land then become immaculately white No more grain, no more fun, no tall and sweet green grass to…

  • Wait for the Morning

    Wait for the morning It comes a little while The night was long and creepy But the morning must surely come Wait for the rising sun Hear the birds twitter Upon the trees that stay around Let Heavens airs touch you Throw the curtains open Watch the sun rays fall On the waters of the…

  • Musing: To a Future…

    (i.) “Open the windows of your heart See the wonders outside; besides you” I like to write this for you, dear For memoirs of what we share And as the last days drew near A moment of truth, I can swear I care for all which come to me The butterflies which fine colors I…

  • Musing; Februarys’ Heat

    Now we don’t have to go outside for the sun to burn us For in the house there is sufferable heat come from nowhere The mosquitoes know of these plight so they stay away The deep nights are hotter, our beds are moved to the corridors The fans blow hot stuff into the atmosphere, one…

  • A lullaby: The Shepherd

    Frankly, the bed is the best thing ever To happen to a shepherd or a farmer For it had been a long and hectic day Though he had little naps along the way The wailings of the young ram and goats Disturbs his sleep; he swerves, he waits He leans forward, allowing his ear to…

  • A Travellers Myth

    “I shall stand at the cliffs edge I shall look out for a better home for us We shall run from the very familiar We shall find a new start And when the Eagles return to nest I would hurriedly rush home to you We shall pack up, all our belongings To embark on the…

  • Musing: The Light, Paper, Curtains, and My Head

    (i) Light Nothing feels better sitting in a quiet room And all you desire is but the sweet loneliness Laying in the dark room were the light is faint Musing over your ups and downs on a paper (ii) Paper Strange how my room is littered with papers Torn, painted, carved, squeezed, here and there…

  • Natures Music

    “I hear the strong sound of drums Come from lands far, far away Music living up the hills and slums Down to the seaside by the bay” The call of the birds flying home As Darkness unfolds her cloak on the Earth The choir of frogs across the little pond Singing and croaking out their…

  • A Poem sometime ago

    Once upon a midnight dreary As I pondered weak and weary The night was grim and all was damp Swarms of flyfull insect surround my lamp And out there the trees stood like Halloween ghosts Waiting to take a stab, standing lightly on the dusts The clouds shine, Zeus was trying out his new lamp…

  • The Dreamers tale

    Now to bed we all must retire But before this, let’s do a satire For my bed which I so admire I’m wrapped in my pyjamas, a funny attire After the days hectic work On the bed, a pen and book I struggle quickly to find and pick; A poem, it must even when I’m…

  • A duel inside

    Most duels are fought without, Some, more important, in us, What kills is that element of doubt… Let us unravel the journey first! I wait, hoping for a smile from you Its not that hard, if you give it a try, I know you have battled pain, I know your dreams were always high! Let…

  • Power of Love

    “1 John 4:18 ESV There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” ******* Now I recall what it all means to me… Love is the croaky sound of the cricket beneath my bed Love is…

  • Just after I wake

    I wake to the light shining on my weary face To Heavens airs and my Gods unfailing grace Before now, the window was half open Dark it was then, but for the waking sun My fancy, my imaginations knew no bound For even in my reverie, my wits stay around Crickets which stay in hidden…

  • My Musing: February 11

    Aha, my mind seems to laugh at me… But I cared so little for what it thinks I say to it, “there are more to life than you see” And for the world I say, “follow the sun as it sinks” For a shepherd, I am a stranger and sojourner …Travelling to a land far,…

  • The last night dance

    The nights are quiet and calm The smell of the rose picked in the morning Comes mildly as the serene air filter in Curtains dance like the naked light of the candle Like you, my dear as the night you danced Raising your hands to your beautiful black hair Looking through the raised arms to…

  • When the wind stops

    The tent-peg shake angrily in the wind On the sandy soil it looses its strength while the clouds are dark with the storm The mighty wind takes her toil upon the hamlet Dried leaves and sticks fly in circles Dancing to the tune of the angry wind The roofs upon the towns houses Creak and…

  • Haiku: Farewell

    Memories and tales will be told Hopes and dreams, in shield And all will pass into legend If our paths ever pass again

  • The Tale of a Shepherd

    When it is time to leave the hamlet To leave the vales and the thornful paths To seek fresh and sweet grasses For the little bleating lamb and sheep The shepherd wakes from his slumber The roads are rocky and mountainous Filled with stubborn stones and quarry The mistletoe grow on the roadside But the…

  • A Tale of the Wildwoods 3: Summer arrives

    And when the beautiful summer happened to come… Upon the glades and vales of the wildwoods The Mountain stood quietly by the forest side Sniffing the sweet smell come from fresh growing flower shrubs The happy birds come flying back home Followed by all pretty insects and the boar herd The skies are tinted with…

  • The Golden Savannah

    Have you seen the African golden Savannah? Come drive through dried brown grassland Come bake in the heat of the sun Come taste the corn beer, cooked by the locals Come ride the horse through the wildlands Come draw your name on the tropics beaches Come and see… The stray serpent, the Python or the…

  • Musing: Baby Chicken

    The days hours go fast The sun makes all lazy Then came two strange looking birds Straying away from the hen brood To come sit beside me Ignoring their mother hens calls Funny birds! But they were all sitting beside me Listening to the airy wind And the sounds coming from trees Maybe they thought…

  • Little seed

    Small seed, a poor prize Which I carried along all this while In my forgotten pocket and in my heart I am going to plant it someday though And watch it grow from my window And everytime I wake in the morning I shall look to it as the sun rises From my old rusty…

  • Freedom

    When the creepy hands of darkness departs Then comes a flush of renewed energy *** Do you feel the sweet and virgin morning airs, fresh? Do you love the warmth that comes with the rising sun? The mornings signify a new life Never tie yesterday to this new life But stay awake to the worlds…

  • Beautiful Dreams from Heaven

    When Dreams come to one Grip them with all you have got The dews of Heaven bring them The smiles of infants in the morning A very cold winter blowing in might And twittering of birds by your window The falling red tree leaves in a park And the blossoming of the golden wheat The…

  • Silhouettes and Fear

    What lurks in the darkness and nights Waiting to jump on ones neck When no light come from the stars? What bears a fur and Sabre tooth And follow the silhoutte of preys Even as one walk in the lonely park? What stands in a dark tree plantation Running its ferocious claws on tree barks…

  • The days toil

    Now my eyes close before Thee Grant me sweet night airs and peace Let my slumber be quiet and undisturbed For the long days toil made had me tired Let Thy eyes move before me each day To guide and show me the right way When the moon and stars leave the night Always let…

  • Beautiful days stay unseen

    When the dark clouds come upon the clan All grow dim, sobre and quiet The stars are hidden from sight But the dark cloak holds all down The stars, the hopes and good dreams The fireflies cast a minute light On the stormy and windy night The clouds bear a weird apparition Confused at his…

  • The Desert city

    The church bell chimes quietly in the city But this little town is left to Pity’s mercy The only noise heard was the airs whine Upon the obscure paintings as the only signs Old dirty newspapers fly about Passing telegrams to misty ghosts Swerving from one side of the road to another Times decaying touch…

  • Wake me up

    Wake me up With your tears Of love and care Let my consciousness comfort you Wake me up To plough the fields To gather wheats And see your smiles Wake me up Even when I’m strengthless To feel the airs Come from the mountain Wake me up Draw back the curtains Let the Golden Sun…

  • Musing: Crickets

    Crickets are my best insects But why? I know not They stay under my bed And cry out till I have an ache up my head But what they say also I know not Though I think they talk about broth Wonder why little insects Grow even beer intent They growl, some bark And all…

  • A New Day

    The morning sun brings joy Now that the dark has gone And the clan is wide awake To begin the days routine The clouds are bright For the new day has come Birds fly away over the hills The forest trees drift about The mists are sucked off As the heat of the Sun shine…