Author: Oke Iroegbu

I stand before the rocks
On the edge were waters fall
Through the block were ferns grow
And the white crystals drop solemnly

And I call out to thee
Hear me, dear mother Nature
Though I am confused and shy
I come to ask of thee something
All about me, I fear greatly
I fear for the thoughts come to me
The thoughts of losing the one I love
For she is so dear and her version rare
The color of her eyes are sweet grey
And the perfumes on her hair,
Fresh each morning I smell them
She is very tall, like the Pawpaw tree
And when she laughs, my thoughts
Comes to a fierce sudden halt,
She has the grace of the deers limb
And walks majestically, like the Pea-hen
The wind is always cool when she stays
The moon mock my shyness
I crave a planet just for we two
But alas, I fear;
The joy of her acquaintance
Tells of many sweet memories
Which will live for a thousand years
Now tell me, mother Nature
What am I to do, to love her more?
For she gave me her true love
And since this beautiful acquiantance
I see the morning clouds, clear
As the crystal drops fall from the waterfall

Even as your shadow fall upon me
But in the midst of the grim darkness
I see a ray of light, I see hope

You summon the wind with your mind
Scattering the tree leaves all about
You drive the wild cattle away from the field
As the clouds separate the blue from the white
To reveal the scorching sun heat
Unleashing upon the timid, quiet Earth
The drops of rain that fell on the ground
Flood the whole arena, with debris and silt
The thunder strike heavily, with deep sounds
The people retreat, each to their tent
The lightning take some crooked pictures
Binding the world to its cruelty
And all this while, you sit and grin
Thinking of another trick to bother the world with

The wind let my ship rock
But you commandeered my heart
My sails are up in the sky
The flag of love flies desperately

Now you lay beside my weak bones
Cuddling me, through my shyness
We whisper and talk slowly
While the woods sigh in the chimney

In the waking morning
You are my sunshine
In the cold nights
You are my moon light

The stars glitter when we watch together
And when you pout and smile
Raising your hands to show a star
I am left in sudden wonder

You pull my hair slowly
And sing strange songs you wrote
The pains of the days strife
Is soothed away from me

The tales I tell you make you sleepy
I wake you with a soft thrust of the hair
The smile upon your face warm my heart
And the sleepy calmness of you on me brings joy

And when the evening get darker
And all about quietness comes
But for the tongues of fire licking the wood
We stay in each others arms

I am a mist
Covering the green woods
In the early hours of the morning
Descending upon the streets a mirage

I am a shadow
Hiding in the quiet streets
Following lights wherever it goes
Swerving about in the lights flicker

I am a rainmaker
One who invokes the rain
One who calls upon the thunder
And strikes fear in the hearts of all

But I am also a rainbow
Painting the grey skylines
With my colorful hues
And the beauty of Nature

I am a cat, the leopard
Striding the vast jungle
A king of the wild;
The keeper of the wild

I am a wolf
Lurking in the shadows
Watching the crowd pass by
Letting dogs bark all night

I am a forest of trees
The one who feeds the wild
The house of the squirrels
A citadel for all flora and fauns

I am the wild
The lover of Natures gift
The waterfalls that stand ageless
The wonders that men never knew

I am a dream
The power of the will
The believe in oneself
The desire to achieve

I am a lantern
A burning hope
Of a dying world
A dancing ray of light

I am a Mustard
I am small but mighty!
I bear fruits in my time
And growing among thorns

I am a lover
The one who pulls her hair
And holds her to high esteem
In want, in plenty, but joy we have

I am a poet
Living in my fantasies alone
Painting the world with words
Loving the fate Providence has for me

I am Africa!
The Plains of the Savannah
The waterfalls of Lake Victoria
And the roars of the Lion

I am the Sunshine
The beauty of Mother Nature
The protector of the world
And the hope of another day

I am hope
That mankind will love truly
That the world will be peaceful
And that peace will have a chance

I can be whatever I chose to be.

Commentary.
This is not about me. I am writing this piece just for the fun of it. I am human, therefore I am in no way invisible. Only but few, of the verses I believe are true about me.

When the sun rises upon the quiet hamlet
There is joy, there are smiles and laughter

The curtains are thrown open for light
The golden rays of the sun swing in
Hopes are high, answers to prayers come

The children roll out their bicycles
As their dogs follow them, fast
The little ones stay behind, to watch the fun

The girls file in a line to the stream
Talking about the previous night
And how great the melon harvest was

The boys march through the forest
To check their hidden traps
And hoping to kill a wild cattle one day

The women pound yams; make soup
Giving the hamlet a new decent smell
And from the hills, one can tell what meal that waits

The men gather about in the town center
Deliberating on a fresh and virgin farmland
And the new bridge proposed for the river

Trees swoosh about like a choirs swerving
The noise of joy is full and all about
And the tree leaves fall solemnly with the wind

The clouds blue, new and fresh
Let the sun turn all hue bright
Painting a beautiful image of the hamlet

As it falls on the huts by the roadside
Making those lively, painting them gold
And drawing wonder to all living things

The mamba and the boas come to the pathways
Scaring many, but joining the sun funfare
The monkeys play on the tree branches

The cries of the hawks up the skies
And the smaller birds making nest
Outside the hamlet are heard

The winds are not left out
They sing aloud, to the hamlets hearing
They conjure the spirits of the Whistling Pine

And as the warm friendly sun rises quietly
Smiling , it brings good tidings to all
Bugs, ants, faun and flora, man and woman

When I found Your light amidst the darkness, it made my life so beautiful
Up the mountains, down the valleys, in the hamlets and in towns
The nights bring her blanket upon me, making my heart faint
The cold feast upon my flesh, making me shiver and cry out
But Your Providence surpasses all my loneliness, it brings me bread and wine
Let me drink from Your cup and dine with You on Your majestic table
And take me to a place where my eyes will see the beauty of Your love

Once in a land far, far away… The Tortoise and the
Boar made friends. There friendship was known all over the land. The two families were very close. One day the Tortoise asked the Boar to lend him some money. Out of the old friendship which existed between the two families, the Boar lent out the money. It was agreed that the money would be paid back on a fortnight. The Tortoise made plans with his wife to deceive the Boar so as to prolong the repayment date. He asked his wife to use his hard back shell as a grinding stone and to tell the Boar that he wasnt around whenever he came. A day after the agreed date of repayment, the Boar walked in, full of smiles he saw the Tortoise wife grinding pepper on a stone. He asked after his friend. ‘He went to the farm not too long ago’ the Tortoise wife lied. The Boar ran off towards the Forests in search of the Tortoise. But he was no where near the farms. He walked back home. The next day he came back. ‘He went to see the Cock’ the Tortoise wife lied again. The Boar ran off again. This time he asked other animals on the road if they have seen the Tortoise but none had seen him and he wasn’t at the Cocks place either. Thinking that the Tortoise might be playing a trick on him, the Boar in anger returned to the Tortoise house and took the grinding stone from the Tortoise wife. He wasnt thinking, he flung the stone far into the shrubs. A few minutes later, the Tortoise walked into his compound. He saw the angry Boar. ‘What is it my friend. Why is your face red?’ he asked ‘I’ve come for my money’ the Boar answered. The Tortoise demanded for his grinding stone and vowed never to pay the Boar if he wont return his stone. The Boar rushed into the shrubs in search of the stone. He was picking every stone on the ground with his snout to see if they belonged to the Tortoise. Up till now the Boar still pick the ground in search of the Tortoise grinding stone. It is wrong to play on peoples intelligence, it is also wrong to act in anger.

Now real love feels like
Standing on a rocky land
Surrounded by bamboo trees
On a very hot sunny day
By the side of a flowing stream
Filled with children playing
In the coldness of the waters
And watching the hovering hawks
Circle the area like a scout
As each burst of Heavenly air
Shakes the leaves of the forest
Making the pines whistle
And the bamboo leaves shiver

The tiny silver fishes swerve about
Like a dancing carnival, up and down
And the brown and black crabs
Hide behind flowing tree leaves
The trees on the streams pathway
Shed their leaves joyfully
Watching as they fall quietly
Into the ever quiet stream
The squirrels on tree tops
Watch patiently for any intruder
Holding nuts picked from trees

Now the rocks, so bold and ancient
With indelible marks of Nature
And the strange folk tales told
The waters fall on the stones
And in a queer haste wash down
The rocky body of waterfall
Throwing a splattering noise
Not so far away
Like Nature washing her garments
On the waterfalls as she sing
The distorted but unified painting
Of Natures sweet wholesomeness
Wonder, green and beauty

Love for you, motherland

Commentary:
Kpe’re is the name of my hamlets stream located in Ovim in Isuikwuato in Nigeria. It is a very fine sight, full of ancient rocks and exotic forest of bamboo and many pretty flowers and plants. I can recall vividly stories told me about the stream and her forest. Wild animals; wild dogs, hyena, antelopes, boars, pythons etc have been sighted and once I witnessed a rare specie of snake being killed during a visit in one of the past Decembers. I can also recall swimming when suddenly a snake came with the streams tide, everyone had to run for safety, hahaha. I was a kid then. There is this particular rock by the bamboo forest which has the mark of a very Fish. My mom told me during one heavy down pour, that fishes came down from the clouds and one landed on the rock leaving that mark, hmmm! Well, the exotic appearance of the streamside is one of wonder, nature and beauty. Perhaps I will take pictures of here some day.

Dear,

I found a flower on a dirt patch
This morning, as the sun rose
It looked a little sickly
It’s redness almost lost
And it shivered on the morning breeze
It told me about the dying world
And I had pity on it
The world is dying dear
Man and machines are helping her die
I had hoped to mail you this flower
But it’s appearance would prove my misery

Right now, I lay upon the ground
Watching as days go into months
And as my fellow men lay dead
The machines have no conscience
Only men who handle them do
But it seem we are connected now
Low conscience and no conscience
The fields are void of flowers now
The trees fall like gladiators in the arena
Hills are grounded by missiles
The pain from the scorching sun
And the tears of men slain
Come to me each moment of relieve
There are no consolation in a war
The field is littered
With man and machine parts
But do you see how beastly man can be?
I pray such memories come not to you

I will send you a flower
If I find one around here
If the war persists
The fields are filled with mud
And grease and even blood!
There is smoke everywhere
There is sorrow and pain too
i look up the trees
The leaves and nuts are gone
The squirels and monkeys too
All the birds had taken flight
All we are left with is bones and guns

Even as we crawl in this filth tonight
I hope to see a flower
One to remind me of our times together
One to speak of good men somewhere
And one to give me hope once again…

I am weary gun carrying,
I shall return to you soon
And we shall plant roses, red and green
For now, I wish I could just send flowers

Commentary.
War has no benefit. The world is faced with many problems already; global warming, earthquakes, tsunamis, poverty and illiteracy rates, food, energy and fresh water shortages. We could join hands together to savage what we can.

It is a very cold morning
As dew descend upon this land
From those ancient hills
Standing like medieval knights
Protecting, shielding and guiding the hamlet
Quiet, queer and strange
But full of amazing life

When you feel the cold
Touched by the tip of a grass leave
On your way to the stream
Or on your way to the farm
Tucked away somewhere
Through windy pathways
Hidden in the green forest
The trick of Nature comes to you
The streams are very cold
Icing cold, it takes a huge heart
To plunge a fist in the waters

The shivering cold feasts on the flesh
Turning the skin to white colorings
Driving dry airs through the nose
And up the hills, one could hear sounds;
The cutting of palm fronds
The call of the wild
The wind brings sweet scents
Of wild sunflowers and marigold
And the cooking of my people
Though the cold be so a tyrant
It revives memories never to be lost
To a wild and country-loving boy

Umukwu is a hamlet located in Ovim, Isuikwuato in Nigeria. My mother is from here and I have spent some time living here. It is a very quiet place, save from the birds twittering and the buzzing of insects in the mornings. The hamlets is almost cut off by breath taking hills surrounding it, cold streams with big catfishes and crabs which are not to be killed; very fanciful tradition you might say. The people are homely, welcoming and very friendly; a typical feature of the Igbo ethnic group.

If love is a fruit it will be an orange
If love was up the firmaments, it will be the sunshine
If love was a poetale, it will be the tale of the Giraffe and how he ate the sickly moon half
If love was a color, it will be many hues mixed together without any description or identification
If love was royalty, it will be a king strolling upon his land, with sweet smelling ornaments and gardens of tall trees
If love dwells upon the trees, it will surely be a squirrel peering about the leave covered branches
If love is another story to be written, it will be a one of a lover gone to war to defend the territory where his lover abides
If love was my memory, it will be the mangoes I picked up the fields and how one landed on my head
If love was a fun time, it will be me running after my grannys goats yelling like madness
If love exists truly, it all came when I saw you first and how things became new
If love ever changed me during the Harmattan, I would be an Arabian prince painted white with the wind
If love lives on the Earth, humans will care for each other, for trees and fauns that stray the wild
If love was a lady, it will be a dancing woman, swerving and taking curvy moments and smiling always

At the end, love supersedes all thinqs, love changes many things, love controls some things.

1.
When life smiles, smile back
But most times, life never smiles
Then pain becomes a part of it all
But do not let that rule you

2.
Have you seen dying infants
Starving of bread and milk?
But somewhere, somehow
Grains are refined to make fuel
Wit asks, Food or Fuel?

Why are we pained of the past
When we build no future
For a black dying world?
The fear for the deadly unknown
Maybe does not appeal to some

The airs full of blue clouds before
Now dark and grey, loathsome sight
The sweet wind moving all about
Now smell of disgust and smoke
But the factories work away, happily

But when the fishes are meal
They stay on ponds and waters
We feed toxins into these
The feed that feeds our food
All dies, and all dies

If trees do not exist
And then, there is no forest
There would be very little left
For all beautiful hue on Earth
Would evaporate like the mist

3.
Now clutch your blankets tighter
When it is cold and dark
Hold on to dying children
Caught up in strange wars
Pray, even if you believe not
For the pain of all, is the pain of all

4.
But love must spring like a bean
Let’s hold on to that hope
Let it burn in our bossoms
Even when the candle lights go out

For all Children caught up in wars and disasters.

THE MIST
The morning is filled with the mist
The pathways are treacherous
Filled with stray serpents and scorpions
Come to land to get some warmth

HARMATTAN
The heat burns the flesh
Dried skin and teary eyes
The wind is merciless pushing away
All that dared to stand before her

BURNING GRASSES
Burnt grasses give queer scents
Birds circle the sky in search of food
The days go hot every noon
The grasses all turn red with dust

GOLDEN SUN
Dry leaves fall solemnly
In dramatic circles
With hues of grey
Painting the clouds as the sun set

LOVE
Now this festive season brings love
The cold nights come to us all
The loving hands that holds us to curdle
Stays not too far away from us

CHRISTMAS
The skies are full of fireworks
There are smiles of joy, of hope and celebration
The snow flakes fall and cover the greens
As solemn hymns are sang in the hamlets

Sometimes life is dry and brown
The green leaves of trees mean a little
The sight of snails crawling gives no fun
And all about there is no color or joy

The firmaments seem to be grey
The rain that falls tickles painfully
And the scorching sun so annoying
Isolation from Natures cruelty comes

But when love is found up the hills
Or somewhere, where the mole burrows
The dusks become dawn
The setting sun a rising sun
The dark become light
Weaknesses turn to might

Now your love changed me again
Gave me a new life, so sudden
The winds sing to me sweet tunes
And to your love as it blossoms
Now sitting besides you gives confidence
Walking with you brings joy in abundance
Inspiration comes brings all alive
And the mind becomes creative
The evening air sends your scent
And the roadside flowers smell sweet
All things become beautiful
All because you are now in my life

I am worthy of love
And I love you

I call you sunshine in the morning
Because when the golden sun rises
Thoughts of you come to me
Like clouds gathering to give the rain

Throw the curtains open
Watch the sunshine filter in
Thro the windows, painting gold
Upon all it touches as it wakes

Now there is no star in the morning
But the lonesome golden sun
That brings warmth and heat to us
Taking the moist off the Earth

The ripening of the grape and wheat
Thro special effort, come from the sun
Blesses the land with abundance
Giving hue to the wild darkness

Sunshine, a growing mass of heat
When you rise up the horizons
The wild comes to take some warmth
Scuttling serpents, straying reptiles

And after the cold dreamy night
You come upon the Earths surface
With your grace and power
Giving hope to all that desire it

But I call you my sunshine
For you bring to me joy
Staying as the rising summer sun
To travel back only in the evening

Do you see the stars shining up the skies
Winking quietly as we stare up?

Do you feel the winds surging about the hamlet
Pushing all on its way, to and fro?

Now the stars are mild, taciturn and free
And they shine tonight with wooing airs
The quietness that come with the night
Confirm its unison, its oneness with the glittering stars

The winds bring its strength upon the surface
Rushing sand dusts into peoples eyes and homes
Pulling the shrubs up and disturbing all life
She oppresses womens gown, laughing with abandon

But even so, the stars glitter
As the wind play her trick
On the quiet hamlet

When the clouds are dark with the rain imminent
And the banks overflow with abundance
When the scorching sun dries the mud into cakes
And leaves the land barren with no fruit
The grace of the Lord leads us ahead
Bringing us all manner of good tidings

Let the Lions roar up the rocks and plateau
And let the streams be filled with crocodiles
When the nights are cold and solemn
With darkness growing and shadows abound
The grace which surpasses all comes to us
Our fear will be gone, our footsteps even firm

When men wander through the length of the Earth
Searching for love which no man has ever seen
When there is little or no hope
And the candle lights go out slowly
Grace comes to save us from vains grip
Giving us the love that come from above

Hausa language is a Nigerian language spoken predominantly in the North of the country and Niger republic. It is one of the largest languages spoken in Africa.
Alherin, the poems title means Grace in the English language. Originally meant this piece to be sang.

Every morning comes the fever
The fever for an adventure
Come from writing and love
Waltzing blue inked pen, full of life

*
And when poetry was first made
God sent it down to Linguists
Saying “What do you see?”
They raised their brows quietly
Mincing words, struggling to find the description

Poetry was then passed to Lawyers
For they sat all day bored
Listening to strange talks and soliciting
But the inspiration come with poetry
Changed many a thing; reasoning came

And when it was sent to Lovers
And He said do “what do you see?”
Amazed they were, for they just stared
Feeling the awe it brings forth
Loving even more, for it healed the heart

Your love sinqs for my heart
It shoves and kisses my hair in sleep
Blowinq sweet fragrance into my eyes
Smiling in a pout when my eyes open

Your love brightens my dark nights
It plays on my muse all day
And draws my curtain from its place
To let the golden sun rays flush in

Your love pulls my ships sails
Dragging my slumber with fierce care
Letting the Heavens blue clouds show
And letting my flags fly high!

Your love has changed my views
Giving me a sight beyond the horizon
Now the dusts of the ground mean a lot
The birds of the air say even more

Now your love proves it all
It feels like the flowing of the spring water
Rushing thru peebles on rocks
In joyful haste and pure ectasy

Written for a loved one.

.1.
The night stars shine gleefully
Through the windows I watch them
Thinking, wishing and praying
Feeling the airs of the moment

Now I stare at a lonely star
Up, up those black skies
The lights coming from this star
Was very bright and lively

I wondered as I looked through this window
I realized that this star was sent
From someone caring, loving and mine
Not every human are lucky

.2.
This star tells me much about you
Your smile that come in the darkness
And when my eyes grow weak
Memories of your smile come to my sleep

It is the time of the year
When the grasses are burned
And the fumes dance happily
Up to meet the blue skies

The hawks and kites circle
The fire hunting stray rodents
Men beat the bush about
Minding the farm crops nearby

The smell of the fume
Spreads about the place
Pushing the acrid smoke up
Forming a wonderous sight

The nights creep in quietly
Even from the far hamlets
One can see the smoke rise
As the grass burn, slowly

To you beautiful one
I have many a word to say
But tonight I shall be brief and absolute

Do you know how beautiful you are
When the morning sun shine on your face?
You wear a graceful apparition
Bringing warmth to mens’ heart
You stride upon the pathway
Like a proud Peacock surveying its pen
Your smiles speak a lot of you
It lights each new dawn
And like a match stick
You ignite the passion in men
You are one of a kind
You are a queen walking tall
A fine model distinguished, how exotic
When you laugh, the world bows
Your teeth, white like a morning snow
Your dance steps set the hall aflame
You laugh as you take each step
Like the descending of flowers
Your feet thread softly on the floor
And as the Nightingale, you sing
With a voice pitched to sooth
When you dress on the mirrors front
It marvels at your elegance
You swerve about, dancing in circles
Raising your hands as you turn
Clapping merry men, sit and lust
With their jaws and jugs of broth drooping

And to end my little disturbed acquiantance
I call you an awesome being,
A creature made by Heaven
For your smiles, leave me in wonder

Tonight, we moan
For love that is alien to Earth
For the pain you bear
We cry for you Paris

For love, we weep
For thee mother Earth
For men’s ruthlessness
And the hatred that stays

Bombs, hate and anger
Humanity in taste for vengeance
Destroys the efforts of centuries past
And innocent souls made to waste

If we understand the pain we cause each other
Then we could fall in love again with ourselves
Let there be change and repentance
Let’s pray for care and love

For Paris in times of tribulation
When days turn nights
And when terror strikes the hearts of men
We pray and console

For Paris as she mourns her dead in the 13th November, 2015 attacks. May these souls Rest In Peace, Amen.

Sometimes love comes to us
How we care for those
Who have no feelings
Those who like statures
Care neither for our present
Or the future we so seek

Sometimes love is cruel
She breaks the heart that loves
It prolongs pain and suffering
The suffering of the mind
And the divide behind trust
Love comes like a two edged sword
Thrusting a blade through a heart
But for perseverance, it could be worse
The pain could pull down a warrior
It could burn houses and a whole clan!

Love is beautiful
It sees nothing but joy
Merriment, hope and a future
Love cries not for pain
Love cries because of herself
She sits in a corner
Peering at the shadows that leave
The shadows that disappear
As they came to her

Love is powerful
She conquers the hearts of men
Of kingdoms and Lords
She raises a tower up the skies
She draws a line across the horizon
The men find her wanting
The women see her shadows

Love is poetry
For I can see love
In all poetry does, it cares
It finds a way to teach
And to hold on to faith
Even the hate that brew
Upon the face of the Earth
Has no power on her

I have genuine love, for you
I would say that always
Never doubt me for it is true
It does play on my fancy
But if I wont say it as you will
Never hesitate to stare into my eyes
These eyes of mine will tell you more

The days are made beautiful with your glorious appearance
But when the sun rises up the clouds, the warmth is taken
And for men, faces become a caricature of disgust upon the mirror

In the morning even before the Suns rising
The firmament and the pathways is filled with mists
The track to the stream and forest is covered
The road is treacherous, for snakes sleep in your wake
The dews settle upon the leaves of trees, weighing down the branches
And all about the vegetation, smell of burning grass and wet clay stay
The greens turn red with dust
The greens frown and grow brown
When the hawks circle the skies
Searching for stray rats and chicken

The sun rises afterwards
Hot and boiling
Drying, dehydrating all
Taking the wetness off the trees
The thirst for water becomes paramount
The streams and rivulets
Quench the thirst of body and soul
Refreshing, fruits become a taste

Harmattan brings both joy and love
The evening breeze brings cool airs
A warm distraction from the heat of the day
The dry muds crack as men thread upon them
The leaves crack and fall in circles
Stripping naked proud trees and shrubs
The streams become more shallow
Children play in them, throwing water up
At one another in pure ecstacy

When the nights happen upon men
The mists return to shield the way
The moon shine lightly,
Upon the village and hamlet
The shadows of trees are hidden
In the thick fog which grows about
And when men gather in the inns
To paint the works of the day
With words come from cracked lips
And voices high pitched like the Nightingales
The airy evening bring good tidings upon them

There’s a family away from family
There’s a home away from home
There’s love which must be told
And there’s hope for all humanity

Now the golden sun rises solemnly
Bringing Gods warmth and favor
And it sifts through the window sills
Greeting all, welcoming us to a new dawn
And reminding us of Gods love
Which never fails or fades

Abundant life stays with us all
And always, as the sun rises
Will your glory everlasting

Happy birthday Ediong.

Somewhere in Africa

Strong winds swept all to asunder
But the Masai march against it
With spears black with greasy hands
And faces painted like Halloweens ghosts
Pushing the tall shrubs down
Frighting lions off the forest paths
With bare hands they dare the buffaloes
And call to the Boar for duels
What manner of men, strange
The queer hue of pride and courage
Meshed in muscles and will
With strength for running the heights
Each man being a useful tool
Courage for the head to stay on its place
Throwing oneself to Fates’ mercy
The hope of a strong future
To be painted in the glory be told
And the unity of being one strong weapon
Driving against the wind up the hills
With their noses straightened to meet the air
They conquer all, man and beast

Standing alone in the mist
Where no man sees
The endless stream of wit
But when love comes
When the sun rises or sets
Down. Down the foot of hills
And the hawks hang on masts
Scouting the land for a final kill
The wind wearily sifts about
Men, their creaky windows seal
The darkness come upon the tents
The lightning and his angry nephew
The horn of the African Elephant
Wandering the grasslands
A stroll through the forests
On a pathway leading to the pond
Those strange nights
Of love and desire
The quiet huts
Swooshing trees
A wailing infant
Somewhere in the town
Wanting her mothers breast
The growing darkness
The village square in the hamlet
Filled with men in lust for ale
And the masquerades that run about
To beat people who stand on their way
The joys that the evening breeze brought
With the concoctions that brews a beer
The acrid smell of cigarettes
From the old man under the baobab
The world in words becomes an art
Painting plainly the very soul existence

And it came thus:
“The song may have stopped
But beats continues to play”

I desire friendship that rises in the morning
And stays till the sun set in the evening
A desire to stay even when no one was around
To make pats, plays, smiles and joy abound
The sweetness of your companionship
Which grows past all known friendship
Makes you my family
Who loves genuinely

The clement wind keeps aware of this
She is happy that we are friends
And what’s greater than
Love, care and smiles
Which your company brings?
Even though the company parts
After a days adventure
On the times of quietness
I grow fond of your presence
Praying silently, in my solitude
That the green grass stays
And the blue clouds wait
For such moments we stay together
Moments of sharing, joy and care
What is better than genuine friendship?

For Chika Nwanosike and Ndongesit Okon.

I am Igbo
Not because I am fair
Not because I am tall
…Or short

I am Igbo
Not because I travel a lot
Not because I live in hamlets
… And towns

I am Igbo
Not because I live in Africa
Not because I sell for profits
… Or for loss

I am Igbo
Not because I say so
Not because I am hated
… Or loved

I am Igbo
Because I am a culture
A tradition, not just a tribe
But a people,
A great people of God
A poet and a farmer
A technician and a scholar
Hope of the African race
Born through thick and thin
Fearing no man
But God who made all

I am tradition
A masquerade
In the village square

I am a stream
Flowing in peace
Washing mens nakedness

I am a hunter
Who dares wild beasts
And strikes with no fear

I am hope
Accompanied with faith
With the fear of God

I am a fisherman
Trailing my traps
Tucked away in creeks

I am a farmer
The one who feeds the clan
Eze-ji, king of yams!

I am the dibia, the physician
The one who heals
Throught the help of the Almighty

I am a rainmaker
A descendant
Of the shadows of men
Striving to be free

I am just a man
Who live quietly
Fearing no man or deity
But the One True God
I am Igbo!

Igbo Kwenu!

Learn Igbo language here.

Note:
The Igbo is a Southern tribe in Nigeria, renowned for their industry, entreprise and daring attitude. Basically the poet seems to link his tribes culture to religion. The Igbos are predominantly Christians and can be seen in every profession the world can offer.

Dibia: Locally called the medicine man or the herbalist feared and reverred in ancient times to possess powers beyond human comprehension.

Eze ji: The King of Yams.

In the morning
Where all dreams are born
Through the late night slumber
Of lightnings, cold rains and thunder
He sends us Heavenly calm
Which is our balm

The clouds bring forth the rain
And the same harbors the sun
It rains, our clay gets softened
Breaking the mounds we made
It shines, our greens sprout
Letting the happy bean out

In the ‘noon
Comes the sun
The grey clouds become golden
Heavens warmth come to men
Both faun and flora rejoice
Amazed at the Lords grace

Men go about seeking bread
The Plains are tilled
The streams run across the border
Giving plenty of fresh water
The cows give milk to the thirsty
The land is full of corn and honey

In the evening
Comes scents of household dining
As the hamlets lamplights go out
And all quietness and gloom come about
Yet the comfort of the airs, are now milder
Because life was made to praise Jehovah!

And when we sit about tonight
As coal burns to bring us warmth
As the woods burn and sigh
We sing praises to Jehovah El-Shaddai
And in all time and mood
Oh Lord, You have been so good

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Tonight it all became clear that the end was near
All seemed absurd and unnecessary vain here
The Earths’ toil, the men who strife
Asking what is the essence of life?

The wind grows soft and dry
It passes messages fast forgotten
For in its speed, it is lost
The pines whistle, men stay to listen

When the fruits fall off the trees
It thunders upon the quiet ground
And little stray ants wonder
If the world had come to an end

If Grapes ever had loved
The thought would be, but who?
Would it be the strange sops
Or the ever table-sitting red tomato?

If the Sun stays late to rise
The clouds turn solemn and sad
And when I ponder on the gloom
I understand the plight of the world

If metals I and friends are to be
Gold, silver, variants all certain
Diamonds glittering in the pitch dark
An abstract I shall become behind the curtain

I am looking towards the bright side of life
Where the trees grow on quiet sunny lands
With fruits weighing down the branches
And birds of pretty plumages singing, heartily

Down the rugged road stood a sight I admire most
A journey thro winding road, crisscrossing all about
By tall Earth mounds and thickly forested hills
With Heavens warmth keeping the hope burning

The Sun sets, the Sun wakes
A step and another
Smiles, pain, laughter, joy
The Dreams we started, it had just begun

If I happen upon you, dear friend and event
The Lord shall take all glory and honor
For in my dreams always I shall keep
The memories of you, my friend and event

And now, I stand at the cliff
Waiting, staring at the horizon, yes
I stand before the rising Sun
Which fights with the cloudy gloom

In the evening, when it is all done
A tale of courage and struggle would be told
To every friend and event I happen upon
My heart holds your memory forever

Oke’ Iroegbu

The Gaze: Haiku

Staring into your eyes Tells me of love undying The love that stays in the heart The beauty of the sight I see

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There is a land full of life
Bubbling with greens and love

Swooshing trees thro the forests
To the foaming sea with its broth

A land filled with hills and valleys
With streams and the streams

There are blue clouds
And the birds surf the wind

Uyo cares, loves and welcomes
She is beautiful like Jerusalem

In the coldest and darkest of nights
A stream of neon lamps comes to sight

The ancient city of Ikot Ekpene
Standing on green fields, serene

The stars glitter quietly
The home of tranquility

There are smiling faces
Home with the days wage

And those nights of May
The love we see, we say

The nights are cold most times
The sea comes to woo her bride

They call here with Gods name
Akwa Abasi Ibom!

And at the end of each long day
The Sun travels on her way

***

This piece I dedicate to all my friends from Akwa Ibom state of Nigeria on the celebration of the 28th year of their states existence. Happy birthday Akwa Ibom state.

Abasi in the local dialect means God

Fresh succulent balls fallen from the mother tree
Green, Yellow, Orange and so deliciously sweet!
The tree swerves with the romance of the Wind
Minding the branches carrying the tangerines
Enjoying the wooing breeze and the calling Air
And happily dancing in the midst of these fellows
The busy ants build their mansion across the root
Minding not to block the roots step
The buzzing bees hover up the tree top
Exploring the wonders that bring this scent
Mens eyelids fall in love when tangerines stay about
And many who pass by, do queerly ask
What is better than the smell of tangerines?

For Idongesit Ukpong Samuel

In this heart
Love exists a lot
But who I love
I know not

The freedom we all seek
From the views of the rising sun
To the suns slumber in the evening
Horizon to horizon
Oceans of blue, boundless
Much further you can sail
And the skies up the firmaments
Without boundaries ever known
The strength of the ice thicked
Upon the bare soil
The waterfalls on rocks, hedged
Upon green brushes and forests
The dreams men wandering, seek
The brave, the humble and the meek
The fears of men, the unknown
Grown from the darkest corners
Of pain, distrust and inhumanity

One day we we would be
Boundlessly free
With the clouds always blue
And the sun rising and waking

Green fields abound on Earth
The skies are dark blue
When the clouds are full with rain
The smiles on your face are red
When loved ones come around
The sun is a yellow ball
Shining and lighting the world
The King prides in purple
He is the sovereign of the land

Green is food, green is life
Green is the citadel of hope
For all cute crickets and worms
Green feeds the Earth,
She thrives on our love
But Green is harmless
It lets everyone have a taste of her
She hides on rocky terrains
She falls from the waterfalls
She paints the gruesome world
With her hue and beautiful shed
Green is in you, because Life is green

And here we are staring at the world
With patches of life, here and there
From a grassland filled with grazing cattle
Savoring the taste of green!

There’s a spark outside
Like a strange thunderclap
Hailing his younger cousin
Waking the town from her slumber
Pushing fear into the hearts of many
But for those who know the trick

Now it rains with might
The whole town goes damp
Drawing long straight lines
Which no man can draw better
The crystal rain drops are tiny
But their hits are more like bricks!

On the evening, during moonlight
Some men gather to revamp
Under the Baobab sheltering the inns
The men talk about the rains asunder
Though most feared on the disturbed clemency
On the waving neighboring trees, the Gmelina and Teak

Some very cold nights I stay awake
Lights come flashing back to me
Such nights as cruel and heartless
Growing my mind from a needles eye
And the reason per say, trailing
The times gone in a sudden twinkle
And lives back again in another second
Like I traveled many miles back

Now I remember being the descendant
Of a thunder making rainmaker
Who when angry commands the winds
And lets the hamlet and farmlands flood

I was that hairy boy from the past
A son hewn out of my fathers sinews
During the days of the raid
When men sold men to slavery

I become the grandson of a great farmer
Who stalks yams and cocoyams in rows
Feeding the clan and the village
Bearing this rare title known to few

I had been a hunters son
Carrying the bags of my father
Marching across the forests and hills
Grinning and stalking a wounded antelope

I remember my grandfathers gun
The day I asked about him
And it was told, tales about him
The fall of North Africa
The fights, his courage
The dark days of the World War
The tank traps, the canons

I shudder, I ponder
And I realise how much I evolved…

On the morning sun rising solemnly
Behind my cotton curtain
And thru my eyes, tired and weary
He smiles through the clouds
Blessing the fields with corn In the waterfalls that give lively sounds
He rides the thunder storm
He lets the rain feed the livestock
The grains, the chicken and the worms
With dew He waters my plants
When He, my seeds allows to sprout Giving answers to my wants
I see Him in the free air
In the quiet morning
He sifts in and touches my hair
I see Him push water to the shores
Letting the oceans Whales horn Surfing the tides and the storms
I see my God in all I do
He teaches, He blesses and leads me
Do you see Him too?

The clouds are dark blue
The skies painted with many hue
The wind sifts about the way
Pushing the turbans away
The heights of the mountains
Lay quiet, near the Lions den

The clouds hung motionless
Awaiting the Judges case
A hopeful evening
Turned to one, windy

And here the storm just began
Making all cold, the child, the man
And every one who lived in the clan

Now we sit around grinning
The day has fast gone by
We had spent the sweat
The Sun has taken her toil
But now we are here
Glancing at the moonlight
Wishing good dreams to the skies
Watching the stars glitter
From firmaments far away
But then, the hope of the day
The hope and courage for another day
We seek to muster this night

Who had seen Zeus and his might?

Who had heard the uproar up the hills?

Who had seen the long strides of the king?

He races with the thunder

He rides the great South winds

And surfs the volcanoes lava

He swam the oceans in a second

He moves the wheels that holds the map

He roars with mighty thunderclaps

The horses follow his lead

Through the thick woodlands

The doves sings of his strength

As he pulls the nights veil away

He wields the lightning and the thunder

His enemies he tears asunder!

The Cold that blows in the day

The heat of the Golden Sun

All he puts firmly away

Making the days of men long

Thus the cornfields ripen very fast

And the birds watch admiringly up the mast

Even to all men he gave freely

Watching the talents bestowed on they

He treats the just and compassionate mildly

The Apples he gives to children by May

The Shellfish circle down the depths

And the Eagles supervise her nest

Have you seen this great god-king

Who keeps no brother, sister or twin?

There was a land far, far away
Told to have been located by the bay
The day wake with good tidings and bird twittering
The wings of the Falcon flap above the hidden squirrels
The skies clear with print of dark blue
One of grace and light bright hue
The trees tall as the mountain tops
With leaves, succulent and fresh
The airs are full of misty perfumes
With elves hovering in the quietness
And hogs munching away at the young trees
The fairies guide the Crystal stones
The ancient gems so strongly kept

A young deer marched about
Confused on the smell calmly simmering about the air
The Southern wind full of elements
Made to keep the woodlands, villain and the fair…

to be continued

When feeble men falter during the day
Sprawling about the long quiet way
Heaven sends down her wetness
Upon the earths dry crust
Adorning the many vegetations
And blessing mens lives and opinions

Writing this piece just few hours to my birthday.

In the Book of Genesis, it was accounted that God who has all Supremacy, Creativity, Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding made men in His image, then by default we are mini versions of Him. This means that we have all the tools and know-how to do something spectacular. The Lord matched His words with actions. So we shouldnt just dream, we should do something to achieve or work towards the dream, no matter how insignificant the effort may seem. If my father is a Creator then I should be a creator of something or yet a mechanic fixing the events and mechanisms gone bad, no matter how small it comes to me. So what are we waiting for, let”s use our brains. Confront your problems, do not run from them. If you run, they would always come back, but if you solve them then that would be once and for all! Those little ideas you got and think them unnecessary and might not fit in in these modern times might be the saving tool, idea, event, plan, machine, invention the world had been waiting fOr. Dont settle for mediocrity, start now. Not having proper education is not enough reason, not speaking good English, French or Arabic not a fine reason too, not tall, short, dark, yellow, Christian, Muslim, Igbo or Hebrew is not enough reason. Be a thinker, dream like Joseph and the world would come bow at your feet! Do something please, the world waits patiently for you.

Okechukwu Iroegbu

Have you seen the sun set over the dark clouds
Behind the lonely traveller marching up the hilly mounds?
The evening sets in, covering all the light living on Earth
It was about time for, moon-lit tales and screeching crickets

The wind surge, we are left to feel it
The birds fly away, as the sun set
The clouds are dark, beckoning to a storm
And the people haste about bringing all the drums

The hopes live on, the days gone past,
I sit musing, letting reason come over wit
Like Ali Baba calling out to his forty men
The love I have for you I feel deep within