California is exactly what I dreamed it would be, although my worst worry did catch up with me. The clean streets, diversity of people, and hills represent nature, all in an inspirational school setting lined by joy-bringing trees. Where there are trees, be sure to catch a glimpse of birds that add their musical presence […]
Category: Africa
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Nature’s Circus
1 When you call, your sound rent through the windWhispers, songs of the wild, emissary of mother NatureYou send birds, they ‘caw-caw‘, they fly the blue cloudsMaking the skies their tuft, and you: their leisure 2 Green trees, red flowers, purple feathers, all in perfect unisonYou call to your own, you Baobab, Bee and Flamboyant, […]
When you feel this morning’s aura gather around your limbs, spread your wings, and fly! Dear friends, it’s September 1, I wish you all a beautiful new month.
Home is a warm hug
If you get caught in between a lion and buffalo, run towards the lion. Both the lion and you will be running from the buffalo!
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Daybreak
Getting up to faint bird tweetsWhen golden shine sifts through curtainsAnd morning airs – so delightful and swiftWander through this little town I heard the older folk greetThey talk of night’s heavy rainBut as the storm is now pastA mild drizzle cheers the lawn Sunlight warms my room and townEach cosy day is a blessing […]
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Quote on Africa: A Whole Story
Africa is much more than a setting, it’s a sentiment, sensation, symphony, sustenance and everything in-between spirited and spectacular. It’s a whole story, not completely told yet.
I’m looking to start podcasting soon. This has been in my mind for years. I think it’s the right time! Stay tuned for more details.
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Treetop
This smell of wet clay when watching the sunrise, Clumsy tree leaves peeling streaks of weak sun rays, With the cold breeze brushing against my skin Remind me of grace and magnificence, And fully discloses where the sunshine hides I love the feeling of being held above the ground On a peaceful day staring at […]
The Broken Heart This greatest dream of mine has been shattered,I fall and stumble into the dark hole,Grasping for light in a place of no shadows, Oh, my heart aches. I watch salty water trickle down my cheek,Thinking of how I’ll stitch this broken heart,Suddenly, his voice echoed in my head,Bringing back the unwanted memories, […]
Footprints pattern quiet imagesOn soft sands, immaculate as whiteWith time images are blurredAnd other times widespreadTracks stamped on grains of sandDistort the marks of regular sand But tracks may live for the moment or forever
I hear the wind howl through the gapsWhispering, solemnly to the approaching duskI hear your name being sung, by fading rhymeOne hundred bird voices; flying towards sunset Green, and the taste of seasoned vegetablesPurple hues, of flowers and her fragrancesBlack and pink, of waddling pigeons, dressedHuhuhu-ing from the lonely rooftops Orange is sunset, a shade […]
I have seen tree leaves twist in the air, as they dance to meet the earthBrown, some red, some still green; but all rushing to touch the groundThe floor is littered, a gathering of old and fresh tree leaves lay on the dirtAnd why they fall, they won’t say, but when they do, they seem […]
There are few stars out thereTwinkling across the horizonTo shine a special light uponMan and hills he calls home
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Quote on Being Yourself
I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me […]
When you smile you open up my heart When you are not aroundIt feels like no sunshineHold my handLet us be like one
I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy – Ernest Hemingway
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Rainmaker’s Poem
When the green neighbourhood dance to the call of the wild oneDark are the skies; darker even are the clouds that stalk the rainThe wind came swift and slow; rushing at times as petals of flowers danceTo the music of the coming rain; to lullabies that made heads bounceAnd to the Forest people, to the […]
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Stormy Night
Why is the storm angry?I heard tiny fireflies askThis evening of barrage,Of tempest and darkness The rain bothers me tooShe flirts with my vision Hurls my soft curtains upAnd annoys the candlelight Even the gloom is ephemeralBut window panes growl and shakeEach time the clouds rumble outside
I love to share this piece of Nature with you. This is Bedia, a serene village in Obudu located in Cross Rivers State in Nigeria. Obudu is home to mountain ranges and the popular Obudu cattle ranch.
Free and fresh as air are weThose who live where Nature sportWaterfalls dabble same rhythm this mornMother Nature wash her garments in the steam To cloudy dawn is a pleasant songVocalized by a multitude of birds,Playful monkeys or lazy reptilesBeneath this serpentine woodlandTo peaks overlooking the valesThe path may be lost in thick fogBut in […]
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Reflection: Favourite Time
Sunset is my favourite time of the day. Not only are evenings made for telling stories but are moments of self-reflection and truth. It’s the sun’s way of reminding everyone of the need to take some break from the day’s hustle. In Africa, it’s a time of rest. Each time I travel to the countryside, […]
In the Igbo cultural society, nocturnal birds are considered to be harbingers of evil. Night birds like bats and owls are associated with witches or dibias (traditional medicine men). It’s believed witches use them as messengers or even transform into these birds. The owl is perceived as a messenger of death. There’s this belief that […]
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Rumbling Clouds
The rumbling clouds talk to meCracking through the dark skiesSprinkling raindrops on my stepsTwilight emerges above the skiesThe quiet evening brings about A batch of cold wind & shower
Light rain, mild breeze, magnificent shower, Like the faint drums that usher in the noble, Faded lightning, a plethora of tiny drops Those that drench the backyard every night
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A Shepherd’s Night
The shepherd lays quiet in his gardenHis face interacting with the black skyFamiliar with the singing night insectsAnd bleating sheep behind the barn doorHe listens to folk music from vales below,Staring up at the faint darkness aboveHe smiles when the early barn owls hootReminding of nature’s friendship & love
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is going a great job in wildlife conservation in Kenya. Check out their website to see what they do or support them: https://links.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/
I aim to love and live every moment, every opportunity to witness something beautiful like sunrise, sniff the morning air and hear the chirping birds.
Waking to vocal birdsThat greets the rising sun,The atmosphere is brightSo are the school kids Daybreak scent from gardensLittle residents crawl and roamThe cold morning breezePlunge from ancient hills Green below, blue above,Gold across the horizonNature colours lovely selfWith happy, life-giving hues Morning reflects on window panesSmells through the opened curtainsAnd nothing sums it allMy […]
Many colours, one people
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Happy June
In Africa, it’s a tradition to wish people good when it’s the beginning of something new. Today is the first day of June 2022 and I’m sending lots of hugs and hearts to everyone. ❤🤗 So here’s to all my friends and followers, I wish you a cheerful new month! Remain happy and healthy.
Nightfall dreamsA ride through moonshineHome wait for tales
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Muse: Talking Drum
Permit me to etch this melodious stanza upon your heartLet the verbal rhythm be greeted with this fair talking drum,Give me your ears, let them listen as lyrics tell of the night frogWho challenged the melodious nightingale to a song duel
Papa said I had to be hail and hearty to attend the following Tales by Moonlight night. He also promised I could play and hunt with other children if I got well fast. So I took my medication seriously. The moonlight night tales came once a fortnight; sometimes, they may be delayed, especially during the […]
Now, do you know why the animals returned late from the insect award night? The muse below gives us a hint. Once it happened far awayIn the old insect kingdomMany dignitaries appearedHues of diverse fur & feathersAnd what a colourful galore it was! So it was a ceremony to last a dayBut took a couple […]
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Africa Day 2022
Every time the sun goes downReminds me of the love I’ve foundAt sunset, sunsetSunset, African sunsetI hear you calling me, so far awaySunset, my African sunsetI feel you reaching outAcross the water — Tommy Page I’m delighted to be part of this year’s Africa Day celebration! Africa is indeed a beautiful and diverse continent that has […]
There’s a lot of bitterness in the world, we need to spread some love You are like the beautiful golden sunriseYour smiles are like the petals of a flowerWhen you smile I’m lost in lettersI’m happy in your hallowed happiness
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Quote About Africa: Drums
The drums of Africa still beat in my heart — Mary Bethune
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Light in The Dark
Amid dark skies and night,Through silence and mistsDear Providence grantsEven light in the twilight
Oke Iroegbu's Blog (African Bard & Storyteller) 