Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Category: animals

  • Small Ocean in the Corner

    Small Ocean in the Corner A quiet tankBreathing blue lightin the corner of the room. Pebbles hold small storiesof water and waiting,plants sway like soft thoughtsno one hears. The lamp hums gentlyabove a glass horizon,turning an ordinary nightinto a small ocean. Outside, the room sleeps—couch, curtain, shadow. Inside,a world floatsin patient silence. Developing My Concrete…

  • Pigeons

    Pigeons A few years ago, I tried to raise a couple of pigeons in Nigeria. I’ll call them elegant and bright birds, and I got them as babies because they fell out of their nests. They were vulnerable, and other birds, rodents, cats, dogs, or even insects could eat them! However, I only had them…

  • Quote: Power is Gentle

    What can people learn from our giants, the peaceful, friendly, playful African elephants? Power is gentle! Now keep that in mind.

  • Nature’s Creepiest Nun

    Let’s talk about the praying mantis. Sounds holy, right? With a name like that, you’d think it spends its days in quiet meditation, sipping herbal tea and whispering affirmations to butterflies; however, if “preying mantis” could have been a better name. Just saying. This bug is a straight-up ninja assassin in a leaf-green or sometimes…

  • Quote on Elephants

    How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! – Desmond Tutu

  • Video: Black Cat

    A random, curious black cat approached me a few days ago when I was exhausted from traveling and waiting for my host. It must have felt my tiredness. It stood for a while and eventually sat like a guard, waiting with me and watching my luggage until my host came. It was so calm that…

  • Lions

    What is your favorite animal? King of the African jungleWith a golden mane, beautifulGuileful, bones, and sinewsRoar from depths of your soulLet terrifying echoes ring through the hills

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Image: A Giraffe Family

  • Pic: African Wild Dog

  • Igbo Proverb: On the Kite and Eagle

    Igbo: Egbe bere, Ugo bere, nke si ibe ya ebele, nku gbajie ya English: Let the Kite perch, let the Eagle perch, any that forbids the other from perching, let its wings break. Origin: This proverb originated from the Igbo tribe of Nigeria. It’s commonly used when trying to settle disputes or for prayers. Meaning:…

  • The Spotted Hyena: Africa’s Strongest Teeth!

    Passion If I didn’t have a degree in finance or work in different humanitarian aid endeavours such as schools and human rights institutions, I would be a zoologist or a vet. This love for nature was captured in my nursery school report as a kid who loves playing with living objects. Then, I had a…

  • Night Poem: Silence

    Silence is not the melody of night Lingering moon, dawdling owls & crickets Emerge to begin the circus called dusk

  • Commentary on A Tale of the Wild Woods

    This is folklore written by Oscar Wilde, and one that I enjoyed as a teenager. I feel the mix of the honest voice of a boy who loves nature and a budding young writer, happy to engage his wits on imaginative adventures. This work wasn’t meant to be political in any way, but reflecting on…

  • Night Poem: Shepherd’s Song

    Shiny stars, still evening, Smooth, breezy companion, A shepherd’s lonely hymn

  • Video: Pangolin Conservation in Nigeria

    Meet the bold Nigerians who are fighting to protect the worlds most trafficked mammal. Credit: Natgeowild

  • Nature Poem: The Butterfly

    Sunflower rests under the tree’s shade, Blushing over the fate of a butterfly, With strange but colourful stripes, One that kept all nature wondering.

  • Africa’s Strongest: The African Dung Beetle

    Prepare to be amazed by what you are about to read. I decided to write about this excellent weightlifting beetle because of the sheer strength it demonstrates. Yeah, the dung beetle feeds off other animal waste, and it’s common to see them roll it across the countryside with such force that one can’t help but…