Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Category: Africa

  • Which Way Nigeria?

    My Fatherland What a beautiful country Nigeria is. This glamorous country has got it all – rivers, deserts, rainforests, savannah, highlands, mountains, and every geographical feature you can think of. It is the most populated African nation, with most black people on earth. Nigeria is known as the ‘Giant of Africa’ – the cultural diversity…

  • Shadows

    What does it represent? I’ve always wanted to write a piece about shadows. Please note that for the poem below, I am referring to the shadows of man. I’m fascinated by their appearance and have always had many thoughts about them. In some cultures, shadows are considered sacred, while elsewhere they are seen as evil.…

  • Muse: Night Memories

    A silent evening The sun is asleep And the night awake With it, every creature of the dark Burrowing rats, squeaky insects, and birds Country, radio music, dark mists Sweet breeze, lightning, wilderness, Fading fire, lonely happy moment, Where all memories flock There’s a brewing rainstorm, Right from rumbling clouds, Shrieking crickets and night flies…

  • When A Poet Loves

    Poets are unique creatures Living in their playful minds They are facets of adventure Hewn to investigate life & why When poets fall in love They soar in their craft They prevail in fantasies Then lets life pace on art They travel to & fro the moon In their art, there is joy & pain…

  • African Proverb: On The Rat and The Lizard

    Igbo: Oke soro ngwere ma mmiri, mmiri guoro ngwere agagi ako oke English: When a rat swims with a lizard, his hairs won’t dry as the lizards. Origin: This proverb is widely used in Igbo land. The aged use this to instruct young people and children, mostly in folktales. Reptiles are good swimmers and can…

  • First Night Rain

    This night rain flatter my townShe sneaked up our curtainsAnd let her waves wrestle with themThe breeze blew out the candlelightsWhen the thunder howl in his deep voiceEach time the lightning appearsBe sure to wait for some rumblingYet the downpour clapping outsideJust by the dark and slippery balconyTries to let the pata-pata cover all sound…

  • Tales Of The Village Boy

    The Leopard Spirit 5 When I arrived home that evening, it seemed like the whole world was turned upside down. I felt my head swell as the bee stings and sharp roots hurt. By the side of my bamboo bed, Nene and her dog sat, staring at me. She held my hand and squeezed softly.…

  • My Life As A Poet By Njabulo N., Commentary by Oke I.

    My life as a poet, Has not been a sweet one, It has been tedious as the sea waves, With slithering moves like a snake, With a lot of punches more than a boxer, It is unpredictable, It can get you lost in wild thoughts. Words without sounds, Voices without people, Minds without hearts, Bones…

  • African Wonders 5: River Nile

    Egypt’s Nile river, life-giver. One fascinating thing about the African continent is its landscape. From the mountains of North Africa through the Sahara dunes, down to the forests and savannah of West, Central and Southern Africa, there are wonderful things to behold. The sunny climate and the glittering water bodies in Africa add extra flavour…

  • African Proverb: On ‘Disguising’ Lizards

    Igbo: Ngwere nile makpu àfọ n’ala, mana onweghị onye ma nke àfọ n’asa. English: When lizards lay on the ground, no one knows those who have a runny stomach. Origin: This is an Eastern Nigerian proverb. Some fraction of the Igbo nation uses it. The agama lizard just like their reptilian brethren are quadruplets and…

  • Muse: A Tree House Dream

    I hope that someday humanity fully understands that trees are our life. Trees are beautiful. Tree shades are my favorite hiding places. The hot noon sun makes me seek these shades, where I find extreme relaxation and comfort. It’s pretty delightful to sit under a group of trees on a sunny day, writing, reading, or…

  • Quotes on Resilience

    Fail big! That’s right! – Denzel Washington Stubbornly persist, and you will find that the limits of your stubbornness go well beyond the stubbornness of your limits – Robert Brault I never lose! I either win or learn! – Nelson Mandela When a man sticks to his dreams he will eventually meet with great success.…

  • Woman

    Dear woman, I smile when I recall what you depict, who you are and the peace you represent. Woman, life-giver A grand masterpiece of nature, Life bespoke of elegance, Of glamour, a living golden statue Fear what it could be When life has no she When we assume maybe Woman, lover She brings peace to…

  • Night Poem: The Messenger and His Gong

    Kokookoroko kokorokoro A greeting calls from afar, Children ran out excited As if the message was for them But then, who knows? Heads up, let’s listen Kumkum korookom Another beat rings out Pushing the mild hit Into the ears of the heaviest village sleeper ‘Oh how cute, it is the King’s messenger’ ‘A tall and…

  • African Proverb: On the Child Strapped Behind The Mother

    Igbo: Nwata akwô na azú amaghī na ùzó di anya English: A child strapped to the back of the mother does not know the journey is far. Origin: The Igbo people of Southern Nigeria use this adage. In many societies, it’s prevalent to see mothers, young and old, strap their babies behind them, especially when…

  • Lullaby: Breezy Evening

    Good evening. Howdy? I love it when it’s evening. Why? Cos that’s when I find time to dream and reflect under the watchful eyes of Mother Nature. One way Providence rewards hard work is through good food and mild evening breezes. Indeed, I have had both and still enjoying one. So I’m going to give…

  • The Rainmaker’s Poem: Come Rainfall!

    Do you want to hear the rain howl in the wind? Then you must come to Africa Here the rainfall is a sport to children And a time to count numerous blessings But if you doubt this, I will make it pour! Come rainfall! Come, dear friend! Send this town scuttling for safety, Let the…

  • Africa Changed Me By Nikki Lockwood

    The open-air safari vehicle rattled along the golden dirt S-28 road, in Kruger National Park. As the wind whistled through the golden grass, I reached out my arm, letting the grass brush against my palm as I passed it by. Even though I was shaded by the canvas roof from the bright African sun, small…

  • Proverb: On Borrowed Oil…

    Igbo: Mmanù arîótara arîóta anaghî ezu ofe English: Borrowed palm oil can never be enough for soup Origin: This proverb originated from Southern Nigeria. It is an Igbo proverb. Palm oil (mmanù akwú in Igbo) is a standard cooking oil used in West Africa. In Nigeria’s Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Bini, and Ibibio land, it’s vital…

  • Proverb: On The Informed Cripple…

    Igbo: Agha adìghï eri nwa ngwōrō English: An informed cripple can never be consumed by war Origin: This is a southern Nigerian proverb from the Igbo ethnic group. Usually, when there’s a state of war, cripples suffer most as they find it difficult to escape the war zone. But when such a person is informed…

  • Night Poem: Rhythm of Hope

    I hear drums echo through the vast wilderness I hear the wild dogs cry out in the early night They cheer the retreating Day in the distance Bright galaxies sweep above to show her a path The drums remind me to play with words, Nature is my song, a rhythm of hope for the world

  • Daylight

    Sunshine Morning inspiration Farm wake up call Of dreamy fields Outspread under clouds Ripen wheat And golden sunlight Glow upon the dirt

  • Adumaradan by Niyi Osundare

    Your love engulfs me As the harmattan overwhelms the heat I will pledge a thousand favours to the wind To courier my voice to your ears Adumaradan, come close to me So you can behold the honour of my presence Since the day I set eyes on you Since the day I had a glimpse…

  • Simple Ways To Overcome Sadness And Depression

    A happy family is a sadness killer The English dictionary defines depression as a state of mind that causes a severe and long-lasting decrease in enjoyment of life or the inability to envision a happy future. Many people experience this daily. Depression drains the joy and vitality from a person, even when they are still…

  • Poem: Remind me again

    Why do I feel like a titan When I come home to you? Oh, motherland, I run to you again Remind me of your love, of hope, I feel a tingling breeze upon my bare flesh The kind wind consoles me in many ways Listening to music from pine trees I shall throw my windows…

  • “I Bless The Rains Down in Africa!”

    In 2015, Paich, one of the singers, explained that the song Africa is about a man’s love of a continent, rather than just a personal romance. Lyrics of the song “Africa” by Toto I hear the drums echoing tonight But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation She’s coming in twelve-thirty flight Her moonlit…

  • Anatomy of Actions Challenge: Day 6

  • Anatomy of Actions Challenge: Day 5

  • Love Poem: Drifting Stars

    You remind me of drifting stars, Of sops ripening in the sunrise, I’ll cling to your arms as a child For you have become my world

  • Fantasy: On My Word

    My heart drums a familiar beat Each time my pen starts to work All nature gather at my feet, Little crickets swishing for more space, Shadows of ants behind the candlelight, And light-craving moths that crouch on my touch Cold wind makes me restless It flirts with my candlelight, Which dance wildly in a waltz…

  • Quote on Leadership

    A visionary leader is one who looks beyond present circumstances, someone who dreams and dares.

  • Black and White

    Black and white That’s just colours Of birds, cliffs or streams Black is a word A cloudy sky or a tuft of hair Both are colours of nature: Black talons of hawks White feathers of swans None of these guys cares Taste the sweet coke Ever awe over why it is coloured Or why skies…

  • Twist and Turns

    Twist and turns; the song of life, Walk or run, up or down the cliffs, Vigor may come as a dream or wife

  • The Importance of Folklore In Igboland (Uru akụkọ ifo baara n’ala Igbo)

    The Igbo Storytelling Tradition Before the coming of the white man, the Igbo cultural society educated themselves through folktales. Storytelling was a revered tradition used to pass the wisdom of ancestors to the younger generation. It is assumed that anyone who can tell a good story is wise. The Igbo people believe in a supernatural…

  • African Proverb: On The Chameleon

    Proverb: A chameleon that wants to survive from the burning bush must abandon the majestic walk of its ancestors. Origin: When there’s a fire in the bush, all living things around there fly, crawl, run for dear lives. Even the slowest among them will make a drastic effort to escape the fire. Chameleons are slow-walking…

  • Night Poem: A Shepherd’s Dream

    The distant twinkling stars are his friends, The sweet, mild breeze his companion, Day may end with sleep full of pleasant dreams

  • Video: Umqobothi by Yvonne Chaka Chaka

    It’s Friday! What better way to spend the sunny weekend but to enjoy the refreshing African magic beer? Observe the excitement on the faces of laborers when they remember home and the waiting beer.

  • Many Tongues, One People

    I wrote this poem on January 2, 2017, upon my return from Northern Nigeria. Before this, I have always viewed people from other tribes suspiciously. This is because of the bitterness and rivalry amongst Nigeria’s tribes. But having had experience living in several parts of Nigeria, things took a spin, and I started seeing the…

  • Video: The African Problem

  • Far Away

    My heart dances & lives to laugh, Under this beautiful moonshine, With my troubadour & cheerful strength, This heart remains in my hometown Even as dreams live in another country I follow these dreams far away To return to this heart someday

  • Happy New Year 2021

    A new year is like a blank book, and the pen is in our hands. It is a chance to write a beautiful story for ourselves. Happy New Year. It’s midnight West African Time, and January 1st, 2021, is finally here. Let me start by wishing you that is reading a Happy New Year. Amid…

  • Plant Trees, Plant Hope

    We can’t replace trees that are thousands of years old. But we can plant new ones; we can instill hope for our future generations. Sad image Sequel to my earlier post on uncontrolled bush burning, which destroys plant and animal habitats, I decided to write further on this sad image I stumbled upon. Man and…

  • The Masquerades of Amune

    Masquerades in Umukwu-Amune Today was Masquerade Day in Amune, Ovim. I was visiting when I encountered a masquerade band. When you come face to face with a masquerade, it’s crucial to ‘acknowledge or plead’ with them by calling out their names if you want to avoid being whipped. Sometimes, offering gifts can help you get…

  • A Big No To Wild Bush Burning

    Home again It’s a full moonlight tonight. The evening air is modest. We are all sitting outside, just in front of the house, discussing the day’s work. Some lay, rolling on mats spread close to one another. In between the lead tale teller’s story, distracting dialogues transpire, though as whispers. Incessant noises made by insects…

  • Oscar Wilde’s Selfish Giant: Seasons Greetings

    I came home yesterday and saw my dad’s favorite Oscar Wilde book of tales. The selfish giant is my best of them all; there’s a big lesson in it. I’ve applied a minor revision to the original story. The Selfish Giant Every afternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and…

  • Quote on Resilience

    The oak fought the wind and was broken; the willow bent when it must and survived. – Robert Jordan, The Fires of Heaven

  • A Shepherd’s Song

    Tut, tsi, tut, tsi, Do you think I was talking to myself? Haha, not in any way! I call on my sheep that way So we bond, using this unique code When they disperse over the pasture I sit to play my guitar, a song hallelujah Trembling fingers, dry in the noon sun, The flavour…

  • Quiet Night

    A silent night from the inside A noisy one out in the wild Nighttime for cricket buzzing Lullaby against a sleepy wind

  • Poem: When Tree Leaves Fall

    Tree leaves dance when they fall, trembling quietly Brown leaves, some dull in red and lighter green All manoeuvre in the same direction of the wind When bold leaves fall off the branches They twist and sail through the wind Some set up leisure, settling on the moist below Sailing off, noiselessly to other stream…

  • Reflection: A King Without A Crown

    A King Without A Crown I used to adopt a noble persona whenever acting among my peers. I remember playing King Nebuchadnezzar in a high school religious studies drama class. It was fun hearing my classmates address me as the king. Nebu—the short-lived nickname that followed—wasn’t much fun. Please don’t listen to me; I enjoyed…