Okechukwu’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Author: Oke Iroegbu

  • 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

  • Hopeful

    Tell us one thing you hope people say about you. How times fly! Flowers still grow on the dirt by the roadside. That reminds me of hope. Tree leaves fall, and new ones replace them. Now, that’s greater hope! So, I would love to smell the flowers by the roadside and experience love again. I…

  • Alone Time

    When are you most happy? Although I enjoy hanging out with people who share similar interests and goals, I crave my alone time. Alone time gives me private time to reflect on my actions and life.

  • Cities I like to visit

    What cities do you want to visit? I would love to visit many cities around the world. Excluding, African, American, and Canadian cities, I would love to visit Paris, Edinburgh, Cape Town, Dubai, Delhi, Mexico City, St. Petersburg, Shanghai, Perth, Auckland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brasilia, Riyadh, and Tokyo for a while. These cities have a…

  • Long Distance Traveling

    Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc. My first time traveling to America was long and tiring. I will repost a slightly edited first post after I arrive from Frankfurt: Forgive me; I arrived at UC Berkeley from Frankfurt yesterday after sitting on a plane for 13…

  • Teaching

    Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech? I haven’t performed on stage or given a speech in a big setting, but I have presented papers in classrooms, conferences, and seminars. Also, I count teaching as an art and form of performance. There’s an audience and then the teacher who performs the art…

  • Push-Ups & Squats

    What are your favorite physical activities or exercises? I do push-ups and squats in the morning. It’s the best exercise to get me out of bed and start the day. I feel energetic afterward. It gets easier with daily practice and is convenient as I don’t have to go to the gym to do both…

  • Generosity

    What is something others do that sparks your admiration? Spare a coat, clothe the nakedSpare a spoon, feed the hungry I wrote those poetic lines some years ago. Each time I see it I realize that it’s not a wholesome definition of generosity—because it focuses on material giving. Generosity goes beyond giving money or gifts.…

  • Penguins of Madagascar

    What’s your favorite cartoon? I liked many TV shows, but I enjoyed The Penguins of Madagascar, the series the most. It was my family show as everyone gathered at night to see the sequel. King Julien was a laughable character, and so was his minions. The Penguins were intelligent, funny, and cute. I thought about…

  • Worrying

    What could you do less of? When you worry, you make the problem double One thing I have learned in life is to stop worrying about things I can’t control or change. These things tend to rob us of happiness and living in the moment. We can’t change things like rainfall (the weather) or attitudes…

  • Further Education

    What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year? A lot of good has happened in the past year. One of the most significant is starting my graduate degree at the best public university in the world—the University of California Berkeley on full-ride. Here, I have met some of the best…

  • Deer

    Do you ever see wild animals? I remember seeing a lot of deer, squirrels, and wild turkeys in California. I also have seen seals and fish in aquariums. Then the birds, mostly pigeons, seagulls, crows, owls, and hawks. I will visit the nearest zoo in a few days. I haven’t seen any reptile yet. I…

  • Berkeley, California

    Do you have a favorite place you have visited? Where is it? Berkeley, in California, is a beautiful place to live. It’s a hilly town with an abundance of greens and orderly streets. In this city is the pioneer and famous University of California campus. There are wild turkeys, deer, squirrels, and bobcats and lots…

  • Morning

    Are you more of a night or morning person? It’s hard to say. I can do both but mostly mornings are preferable. If I’m awake at night, I might be working on something serious or an urgent task that came up suddenly. But that rarely happens as I plan to fit everything during the day…

  • Letting Go

    What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? Why? I’m not bitter, but better I have learned to let go of events, situations, people, actions, and things that don’t work for me. Letting go involves forgiving myself and those that hurt me. However, it doesn’t mean that the wrongs are forgotten and that I…

  • Lake Champlain, Vermont

    You take me higher—you are the reason I sing. Jeremiah Gyang I have seen the tides in the Bay Area, but I haven’t seen a lake with winds as strong as the sea. Beautiful Vermont has it all—mild sunshine, strong breezes, mountains, forests, and the lake! I have crafted a simple Muse below: Lake Champlain…

  • Egusi Soup

    Do you or your family make any special dishes for the holidays? 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,…

  • Learning

    If you didn’t need sleep, what would you do with all the extra time? I would study with the extra time. I’ll also spend some time exercising. Learning—reading and writing will improve my mental and academic health while exercising will support my physical and spiritual health. The aim is to have a wholesome experience.

  • Mothers

    Who are your current most favorite people? My mother was my role model before I even knew what that word was—Lisa Leslie For giving life, mothers are angels and first loves to their kids. I grew up amidst lovely women. I am blessed with a loving mother – a teacher and disciplinarian. They say when…

  • Love Poem: Lightning in Your Eyes

    There’s the lightning in your eyesEach time you turn to smile at meThe fire—gracefulness, everythingIn-between, within and withoutNature witness to this love createdCrafted by two precious heartsOurs—the beginning and end For all lovers out there.

  • Lions

    What are your favorite animals? I’m a fan of big cats—lions, leopards, tigers, and jaguars. But Lions are my favorites, and I always think they are cutest, especially in a rest/sleep mood. 🦁 The lion is known as the King of the jungle in Africa. It is not the strongest in the big cat family…

  • Beach

    Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why? Beach This is a tricky question, but I will give it to the beach. I love both anyway. Yesterday, I was at the beach in Carmel, California, which happens to be a mountainous and rocky area as well. The views were beautiful, and I scribbled a few…

  • Big Sur; The Streams Rush In Haste

    The sound of the streams happy haste is music to my ears and joy to my soul

  • Big Fan – Big Lessons

    If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be and why? Arnold’s success story taught that hope and resiliency are key to success. I would love to meet these actors and musicians: Denzel Washington, Dwayne Johnson, Wyclef Jean, Jackie Chen, Jeremiah Gyang, Mary J Blige, and Arnold Schwarzenegger! But for this post, I’ll…

  • Instinct

    Do you trust your instincts? Make sure that when you look in the mirror each morning, you are proud to own up to the decisions you make for yourself. Yes. I trust my intuition. Not consistently, but I would most times have never been misled by trusting in myself. I don’t know how I do…

  • August

    What’s your favorite month of the year? Why? August is my favorite month of the year. It is a beautiful month and my birth month. It is also a month of holidays, so I celebrate each birthday at home.

  • Love Poem: Music to my Soul

    Your words are music to my soulIt’s silent as the falling tree leaves,Yet loud like the currents of rapids Your songs are music to my heartThe bird songs and their trifle tweets,Squeaky sits, and dancing beats Your laughter is music to my soulI listen while it fades and lights outTo love again—laugh, songs, and all…

  • Fire trail

    What is your favorite place to go in your city? I love hiking through the forest at the University of California, Berkeley. It’s a little distance from campus. A stream ran across the trail, and I could smell the wet clay. There are numerous bird calls and when sunset arrives, it’s something else! The sunset…

  • Approachable

    What’s the first impression you want to give people? Best friendships start with a smile. I want my first impression always to be making myself approachable. So I aim to be cheerful, happy, and calm. I made smiling a habit. I usually smile at people even before saying hello. Smiling is a language of its…

  • Green Places

    If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? I know that this post requires a direct answer. Still, I generally will live wherever there are forests and other natural landscapes like streams, waterfalls, and hills, undisturbed by the activities of humankind. Somewhere in the East or Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, or…

  • Sunset

    Evening—fair sunsetCalm wind, twilightBirds in mid-air flightChirp to this day’s exitSo breath in and outFor memories are all we got

  • In Three Years

    What will your life be like in three years? I would probably further my education or work in North America, Europe, or Africa. Either way, I’m optimistic that it would be good. I can’t say exactly.