Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Category: Africa

  • Tweets

    Lovely tweets From treelines Hot midday

  • Muse: Starry Night

    Starry nightDreamer’s mateWishful thoughts

  • I Have A Dream – MLK

    I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. ——Martin Luther King

  • Lullaby: Starry Night

    Lovely starry nightOne of bright galaxiesOf breezy wind & cold.Lonely against the dampMists are to the villageSo pathways are hidden.In the solitary darknessAre branches of the IrokoStanding like lonely knights,Waiting to stab their victim.Let the huts in the valleyEngage in tonight’s fantasyA momentous time, a lullaby

  • Some Facts About Africa

    1. Modern humans are believed to have originated in Botswana, within the past 200, 000 years ago, solidifying the “Out of Africa Theory. 2. Equatorial Guinea is Africa’s only Spanish speaking country. 3. Morocco is the most visited African country. 4. Nigeria has the richest black person in Africa, Aliko Dangote. 5. Samuel Eto’o was…

  • African Proverb: On Ignorance

    It is out of ignorance that a goat will attend a leopard’s party Meaning: It is no tragedy or shame to be ignorant. As someone has rightly said, “everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects.” We often make the mistake that because someone is very knowledgeable in one area, they are also knowledgeable in other…

  • Uganda

    Hills rise & fall Now the sky is vast Trees are green, All images of the countryside, Of flowery bouquets Fair birds sing & sail From trees on zeniths If we must listen, When they engage the world, Then we need to be silent When trees look on And grasses swerve It’s cos the wind…

  • Night Sky

    Riddles known to the night sky When the galaxies shine They whisper a million tales Some of yours, a few of mine

  • Lagos, Nigeria

    Where ocean waves rise and fall,And shadows full of skyscrapers

  • Nightfall Dreams

    Nightfall dreams Ride through light clouds Home will surely tell tales

  • Haiku: Owl

    Owl dusk huntSquealing batsNight moments

  • Beautiful Rwanda (Pics)

    Welcome to beautiful, clean and breathtaking Rwanda! From Rwanda the Heart of Africa

  • Love Muse: Let’s Dance

    Oh, I’m trying… Generally, I’m trying to perfect my art of writing, and in particular for love and lovers. I believe love is a remedy to all problems faced by the human race. Well, without further ado, I present another love muse. Good night. ✌️ Let’s Dance Let’s dance under the moonlight, Hold my hands,…

  • Lullaby Tonight

    Have you ever been on the pathway to sleep And all you could see was circles spiralling, twisting and falling like mild paints on the wall? Strange as it seems… Weird songs of night come alive: Sweet melodies of the frog choir across the road where the rain water log… And the trembling voices of…

  • 10 Surprising Facts About Ethiopia

    10 Surprising Facts About Ethiopia🇪🇹 1. There are thirteen months to the year based on their calendar, which means they are in 2013. 2. Ethiopians also measure the hours of a day to a different schedule based on the logic that the clock starts when the day does. 3. Ethiopia is the only African country…

  • Night Poem: Light

    Amid dark skies and night, Through quietness and mists Beloved Providence grants To bring through the dark, a light

  • Sunrise

    Sunrise is truly a sign of a new beginning. The atmosphere is fresh, So are dew up the trees, Behind every great rock See the golden sunrise!

  • Dialogue 6: Ancient Folklore Rivalries

    Ancient Folklore Rivalries Storyteller: Otii! Audience: Oyoo! Storyteller: Otii!! Audience: Oyoo!! Storyteller: Today we will examine an incident that led to two friends becoming the world’s example of bitter rivalry. Oral folklore from ancient times has long been reported in several narratives that happened between the cat and rat. Indeed, in modern times, it is…

  • Muse: My Sunshine

    Love is magical. I don’t know what else is Below is a quick muse, written from the heart. And, this heart is full of love. Hopefully, it will find its missing piece. You’re sunshine, The one who plays Strings of my heart

  • Rural Uganda (Images)

  • I See The Morning Sun

    I heard the morning sun Sing to the village below Through cream-coloured curtains Her poems echo some moments ago I see sunflowers dance by the roadside Throwing sweet fumes up the sky I see a dried crust of loose brown earth Colour pastures were several termites Dwell, in broken, collective settlements I see the strong…

  • Haiku: Bright Evening

    Bright eveningSparrows sing,Lovers listen

  • Masquerade Day in Umudinja (Pics)

    Listen! It’s prudent to take pictures of masquerades from a safe distance. Why? A swipe of a masquerade’s cane can leave one reeling in pain. Now, that’s an easy rhyme! 😅 Today is Umudinja’s masquerade day. Masquerades are believed to be traditional spirits with sacred powers. They roam about the town seeking for people to…

  • African Proverb: On The Sun

    African Proverb: The sun does not forget a village just because it’s small. Explanation: Normally, the sun shines on both the weak and strong, rich and poor, man and woman. It does not discriminate were to shine or not. That happens with life as well. Providence gives everyone equal opportunity, as life is not bought…

  • The Village Square

    Night’s dance festival Brings all, big and small The farmer, wine tapper, The cobbler and dancers A night of skewered meat And one, where lovers tryst

  • Lights: Last Blog 2021

    There’s no moon tonight, just galaxies. Despite the littering stars up the sky, there’s pitch darkness on the path leading to my granny’s place. This night is unusual. I know this small village to be cold at night. However, tonight the aura is indifferent. The air is mild and the harmattan breeze is nowhere to…

  • Country aura

    brown leaves, hazy wind, undulating hills, grey earth, bean cakes, smiling vendors, acrid smoke, rising from huts, drifting hawks, surfing the skies, green tuft, on the patched fields, mild airs, sleepy country breeze, sunshine, favourite aura of light, home, where love and the heart is

  • Dialogue 5: Greed/Selfishness

    The Greedy/Selfish Tortoise Storyteller: Ifochakpi! Audience: Waa! Storyteller: Nabe, the Tortoise is a controversial character. But we must note that the tortoise’s character is metaphorical. We use tales to demonstrate what is obtainable in the real world. Greed is a vice. In Africa, it is frowned upon and selfish people in folktales tend to fall…

  • Mist

    Mist like smokeDoused upon hutsMessenger of earthThat cling to hills Most, the color of palm wineWell gathering on mustachesOf men, old and youngA cover for wary rodents Mist, nature’s courierImpostor to manySteering to paths unchartedWhere fortune or failure lay

  • My Father’s Hill

    It’s chilly down this valleyAs this village is immersedIn between these ancient hillsWalked by my father, and his fathersI find it spectacular to be home,To family where it all beganI’m a king, after all, tells my heart

  • Love Poem: Three Words

    Three are my words, Painted on my band A colourful hue Remind me, I love you

  • Quotes on Teamwork

    “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan

  • Story of Compassion: The Brick

    Dear Friends here is a story about compassion, shared by a close friend on Whatsapp. A young and successful executive was travelling down a neighbourhood street, in his new Jaguar. Suddenly, a brick smashed into his side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the car back to the spot where the brick had…

  • Quotes and Lessons: Resilience

    You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ Joel Osteen. A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose. John Maxwell. I love the light for it shows me the way to…

  • A Shepherd’s Song

    Tree roots are my favorite seat, mushrooms are cushionsOccasionally my thoughts drown in the music of sheep and birdsLight-colored birds fly above me, up in the trees they gatherTo watch the meeting of white wool spread across the green grassSome bolder birds come down to join the massive banquet,Picking stray insects that fled the grass…

  • Let

    Let this morn, a huge favour grant; Let it be known: I cherished you first

  • Reflection: Be Happy

    Happiness is whatever you make of it. It’s as free as the air we breathe and the light we see. A Goat’s Stubborn Story A friend sent the picture above on WhatsApp. I was amused by the sight of goats pulling a wagon. Out of all quadruplets, stubborn goats were chosen to pull a cart.…

  • I felt roses by Alexander Okoroji

    It was a dream, The deepest of it, The silent have it, But this moments stole it, I whisper a little, She knew, It was love, She felt it, I never wanted it back, I gave it, A shyly shaky witty love. Oh no, What if I dent the colours, I spoilt it with odours,…

  • Isuikwuato Hills

    1. See these monuments standing to salute, to greet the great and small, From the top, the tree branches wave their way through the wind And down below, their roots, like men’s arms pop out of the ground Across the skies, just above the hills, light blue clouds abound 2. Mushrooms are the landlords, they…

  • Igbo Proverbs

    Proverbs are sources of wisdom. They are the oil with which the Igbo eat their words. In this post, I wrote in Igbo, translated into English, and then gave its meaning. Sometime ago, I did a blog post on proverbs used in the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Click here to view it.…

  • Friendship

    There’s always a friend out there for everyone, someone to confide in and share life with. 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. Even Africa’s wild agrees on friendship. Do you agree? ☺️

  • Night Poem: Dream Away

    Your voice wakes the wild nature in me When you sing the lyrics gladden my soul I adore those moments you look over your shoulder To catch my happy stare; as you dance away, laughing *** You dress like tulips that grow on the farmyard Fresh, delicate pink, lively as green bean pods Scenting the…

  • Wilderness in the Skies

    There’s wilderness in the skies Embellished with many galaxies Of numerous twinkling stars Cosmic jewellery, Playing peek-a-boo With folk down below Once upon a time, A moment of thought On a journey called life

  • Haiku: Silhouettes Walk

    Grim pups howl Cold full moon Silhouettes walk

  • Muse: Love

    Love is when we stare into the eyes of each other When we smile for no reason but each others warmth It gives me pleasure to love you, masoyina And I cherish the thought of it every sunset **** Masoyina*: Hausa language for my love.

  • African Myths

    Do you know that in Africa there are so many outrageous myths and beliefs? Mind you, this is not voodoo. Myths do exist. Most times, they are used to scare or refrain children and young adults from being rude, behaving wildly or disobeying their parents or elders. So let’s define a myth to get a…

  • Fresh Start

    Waking sun reminds of onsetsFor the past is kept without,So light dew may bless the moment

  • Night Poem: Setting Sun

    Favourite pastime My favourite moment of the day is sunset. The golden rays of the setting sun reveal a lot to me: better is the end of something than its beginning. Watching the sun fall yields to me how an infant my soul will remain. I don’t want to get used to it. It heals…

  • Muse: Dear Starry Night

    Dear starry night, Friend of the lonely shepherd Attend to these heartbeats So that the night aura be grand Play the silent music of night Chart a path for this heart Where flowery dreams sprout Sweet & memorable moments With the approaching twilight Permit these emotions to pause At the sunset golden gate Let it…

  • Onyinye (Gift)

    Keep It On Lately, I have attempted to write more about love. In doing so, I decided to take some inspiration from my old work. I visited my archive and there’s a lot of rusty but good stuff. I grin when I see my old writing and how it has changed over the past decade.…