Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Category: Berkeley

  • Hummingbird

    I’ve been reading extensively about Native American folklore lately. As part of my Master’s research at Berkeley, I studied the relationships between people, wildlife, and the environment to understand how everything is interconnected. In Native American folklore, hummingbirds symbolize joy, happiness, and good luck. They are also seen as messengers from the other side, bringing…

  • 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…

  • Reflection: Love and You Are My Star

    Love One thing that the humankind needs to learn more often is how to love. Love can come in different forms. Respect is a form of love. Kindness, openness, happiness for others, and more. It’s a shame that a lot still divides the world. Tonight I chose to write a very short love poem—and for…

  • Moonlight

    Purely handsomeImmaculate phantomCircle, one of gentlenessOffering the galaxy,To all, and sundryLight and calmness,And breezy evening tideFor all, and sundry

  • Oak Wilderness

    Pockets of green, here and thereSpread across a vast wildernessBlue skies, roaming deer, and harePretty birds in a reptile paradise The night will convey dark cloudsStreams flow into a wonder lakeWith the sound of life piping loudAll for this gentle oak land’s sake

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Studying

    What are you doing this evening? This evening, I will be reading at one of the libraries at UC Berkeley. I’m working on several research essays and, at the same time, preparing for seminars and upcoming conferences. I will meet with some of my mentees afterward to catch up with them.

  • California

    Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home. California is just what I imagined. The clean streets, diverse people, and rolling hills embody nature, all set in an inspiring school environment lined with cheerful trees. Where there are trees, you can often see birds that add their melodic sounds to the view.…

  • Berkeley

    What do you love about where you live? Berkeley in California is a wonderful place to live. It’s a hilly town with 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. The weather is cool because of the…

  • Beautiful Sunset

    And here is capturing my favorite part of the day in pictures and few words! Taking it all in: the fresh air and breeze guided by tree canopies, the tree leaves falling, twisting and waving goodbye to sunset, the tiny worm crawling home under the brushes, the solemn rocks sitting harmless, the peaceful hills overlooking…

  • Let

    Let the soft wind of morning speakLet squirrels pick nutsLet happy deer forage rootsLet pretty flowers blossomLet the sun shine bright tooJust let all good things be Listen, to the rhythm of your heart – of Nature’s

  • Sound of Water

    Poetry may come in the form of flowing water,That tells of no serious thing in particular;But about the few that wash others’ feetAnd the wild that calls the forest home,It chats of fauns that hide in crevicesWhere waterfalls are happy to fall in currents,Rushing, flowing in streams and slow rivers, Out of sight, far away from hamlets,Planting…

  • The Diary of an I-House Livermore Cowboy

    Each year during Spring Break, I-House residents have the opportunity to be placed with an American host family. The Spring Break is a week-long break at the University of California, Berkeley that gives students and faculty time to rest from school work. This year, I-House organized two trips to the cities of Livermore and Redding,…

  • Livermore, California

    Watch the hills rise and fallBeautiful, ancient,Twist and turn,Happy singing birdsHappier sunlight! Blue cloudsAgainst the white,Foraging horsesAnd cowsLook up to see who has arrivedLovely grass paradiseTrees are the guards! Hawks circle the skiesNoon greets everyoneTake notice the cow mooingOr the powerful horse neigh Let’s go dreamingIn a county not far awayA valley unspoiledWhere man and…

  • Winter Break Memories

    While this post is about my experience during the Winter break, I must thank my friends who made it worthwhile. This break was my first away from … Winter Break Memories

  • idyll

    pretty birds glide up the tree branchesflowers are hidden in the thick shrubshumble rodents burrow through the earthand busy ants make castles out of fine dust

  • Your best is waiting

    Your best is waiting The world is a crazy place, you may agree. Crazy because kind or nice turns people off. Being kind or nice can get you used or betrayed. Humility is seen as a weakness. Well, if you ever felt rejected or ignored because of your kindness or niceness, please hang on. This…

  • Cold Night

    Stars came looking for the moonNightfall their fine playing groundWith cold hands of night blowingLovers turn to a sack of warmth

  • Happy New Year!

    This is it! This is 2023! Congratulations! Happy New Year!

  • New Year’s Eve: Grateful for Family, Friends and Followers

    Dear Friends, In a few hours we will be talking about our resolutions for the New Year. How time flies! I recall the nostalgic feelings of the last day of December 2021. It’s replaying, although in a different way because a lot has changed for me. I am grateful for all that 2022 stood for.…

  • Merry Christmas from California

    Merry Christmas dear friends. This will be my first Christmas holiday away from home. It’s been a long holiday so far. The ever-busy streets of UC Berkeley have become a ghost town. The roads are empty and bare of cars. One can confidently stand to take pictures on the roads. The fine houses and magnificent…

  • Bay Area Tide

    Dry airs float off these hillsGloomy weather, sun paradiseThe Bay Area tide refreshes allWindy streets and solemn nights When grey clouds gather aboveTree leaves fall on the roadTwists turns to meet the floorAnd the wind takes them out Lines of streetlights glowThere glow bounce off the tarmacMists draw strange caricaturesThe darkness consuming those

  • Reflection: Evening Walk

    Birds tweeting, squirrel foraging, and Berkeley’s hilly and beautiful landscapes, coupled with the scent of fresh grass – of mints possibly, remind me of home. The roadside is littered with green grass, and up the steps, wild turkeys pick the ground for worms. I saw a tiny bird circling the foot of a tree, which…

  • Sharing the Light, One Candle at a Time

    Here is a short poem I wrote to start today’s post, I call it, This Light. This light of peace I pass to you Pass this to another behind or by your side May the world see the beauty of our love Let my light shine forth in all honesty May your light shine forth…

  • Ubuntu – I Am Because We Are

    International House is a laboratory for a new kind of experiment – the day-to-day practice of international fellowship among men and women. – John D. Rockefeller Jr., I-House Benefactor It’s up to us, the residents, to continue building on this legacy of love, understanding, justice, and peace. – Okechukwu Iroegbu, I-House resident 2022-2023 A popular…

  • Sunrise

    Sunrise reminds us all of new beginnings Sunrise reminds me of a new startThe gloom and cold are goneI hear the birds sing once againAnd the squirrel’s cheerful sport

  • Happy November from UC Berkeley

    Dear Friends, Do you believe in angels? Well, I do. And I am happy to tell the world that they come in human form too. I find no words to describe this scholarship and school community. The love and commitment to making other people’s lives meaningful amaze me. I see the reason why Berkeley is…

  • Berkeley’s Night (Fleet Week)

    The wind whips awaySoft chill on bare fleshEvening – end of the day,Start of something else Gardening it remindsMoonshine it bringsTo a grateful shepherdMiles away from home Night is a quiet companionBut weekends are differentMan and his imagination,The best team ever known Clouds rumble aboveTo unnatural flightsThe sky is very busySo is Berkeley’s night The…