Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Category: culture/tradition

  • Quotes on Kindness

    ‘Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.’ St Augustine. ‘If you have much, give of your wealth; if you have little, give of your heart.’ Arabian Proverb. ‘To fold the hands in prayer is well, to open them in charity is…

  • Poetry from Skies

    There was poetry before we learned to write Awesome rhythm rendered as a strong wind might lyrics penned down by clouds, as such And when singing, green vegetation bows There was poetry before we learned to hear Drums that tender soft beats, far but near Brief gaiety across the heavens Heard passion when it stills…

  • Wattle by Robin Bliss

    Wattle blossom, Wattle yellow Makes me feel kinda mellow With your flowers, brilliant bright Fills my soul with much delight Saffron, citron and festive gold Buttercup and colours bold And so I loiter on my way In your presence I would stay Yes your sweet scent laden breeze Sets my soul and mind at ease…

  • Love’s Silhouette

    We have our silhouette against sun rise, When we stand, staring in our grey eyes, Yet the sun may bear witness to this tryst Start a blog.

  • African childhood Memories

    I long for my childhood days in rural Africa, To fill my lungs with morning air descending from hills And to till farmland that stretch into sunset Golden sunrise always kept everyone speechless And when birds welcome the day with choruses Sweet breezes gather to battle the sun warmth Infants may resume their wailing culture…

  • Sing with me

    Sing with me Let’s talk lyrics only known to poetry, Dance with me Let’s swirl upon night’s quiet rhythm. Start your blogging here.

  • Another Tale of the WildWoods

    There’s a land behind those hills Hidden in the forest, One mighty foliage; of brushes & roots At all times, Cloud is blue And King of the Forest Do fall in love with it When the Cloud blush It rains softly; mildly And little creatures Which live in the land Look up to the smiling…

  • Seeker

    I see a golden ray Giving light from afar Up the lonely road Near the cliffs edge Where leaves fall in circles, Caring about nothing As they fall, happily And the skies not seen But a streak of sun light Filing through waving trees Now and then, Rodents of tall trees, Curious about the passerby…

  • Back home

    Well, the morning bus was fast enough. Now, I’m here again, Ovim my beautiful home! I noticed new additions to the garden, date palms, groundnuts, turmeric, plantains, cane sugar, grapes, pawpaw, oranges, guava, coconut, sour sops, tomatoes, mangoes, yams, cocoyams and more. My aunt had turned this small garden to a demonstration farm. My fluffy…

  • Another Evening Storm with the Rainmaker

    … And there’s another rainstorm brewing over this town tonight. Out in the cold street, light bulbs glow here and there, but meshed in grim embrace of darkness itself. I feel the wind lick the skin on my forearm when I hold the curtain to see the rainstorm. There’s a strange but sweet smell, of…

  • Worries on the relaxed Lockdown in Nigeria

    Now that the government relaxed the sit-at-home order, I may travel home to see my loved ones and pick some supplies. My movement is within my state; I’ll go no further than that. Everyone has been worried and could only connect via phone. But I’m worried that this relaxed lockdown may allow for interstate traveling.…

  • Quiet Lakeside

    Once upon a quiet lakeside, Where blue clouds stay, With very thick fog dwell, And tall Figs hide in them Like towers, Over a host of colours, Painting down the valley When the sun rays fall And the forest below So all may turn to gold. Clouds are not left behind They shine in the…

  • Ever Searching

    Ever searching for the wor(l)d… Start a stunning WordPress blog here.

  • Muse: Thoughts

    Nothing gives me exceptional hope But thoughts of coming home to you You can start a blog like this one.

  • Persevere & Good Deeds

    Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow may be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine. Jack Ma English dictionary defined perseverance as continuing in a course of action without regard to discouragement, opposition or previous failure. It is persistently enduring to the end. Start your blogging experience here. First lesson to pick…

  • Niger River

    Have you seen the snake river That flow through the Savannah? The sun ray may fall on it, And her whiteness woo the eyes Hippos and crocs love it, River pythons dwell on it A beckoning waterfall up the rocks Where Mother Nature sing loudly, Always as she wash her garments On the clean waters…

  • Reflection: African Dream

    I reflect and dream of you Africa, and hope to see Peace, Equality and Freedom work for you and for all… …and to travel through many African countryside, to smell coffee grown in a valley in an Ethiopian village, to dance with the Masai and roar boldly with Serengeti Lions when they call the sunrise.…

  • Self Reflection 31: Faith 2

    To believe a thing impossible is to make it so. French Proverb. Indeed, the positive thinker of faith in God, sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible. Start a stunning WordPress blog here.

  • Messenger

    Kokookoroko kokorokoro A greeting called from afar The children ran out excited As if the message was for them But then who knows? Heads up, listen attentively Komkom korookom Another beat rang out Pushing the mild hit Into the ears of the heaviest village sleeper ‘Oh how cute, it is one of the King’s messengers’…

  • Happy May

    I wish you beauty because you made it to a beautiful month, sweet as the Lilies of the Valley and peaceful as quiet waters by the lakeside. I wish you even more; joy, happiness, progress, success, Divine speed and providence, greatness, hope, and love! HaPpY nEw MoNtH ❤💚💙 Start a blog here.

  • Tradition: Breaking the Kola nut

    Onye wetara oji wetara ndu (Igbo) He who brings Kola brings life… Kola nut is a symbol of hospitality and friendship in Nigeria. While other food can be cooked, the Kola nut needs no special preparation before presentation. It’s a bitter fruit of the Kola tree¶, grown all over tropical Africa. In Igbo land, Kola…

  • Beautiful News

    Honestly, there are beautiful news announced by nature out there. Focus on them, enjoy the beauty and nature around you. Good morning and have a great day! Start blogging here.

  • Starry Night

    Stars sing your herald Cold night, crickets quiz In quietness I lay alone Start your blogging experience here.

  • Determination

    Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction – Germany Kent. Every mountain becomes a plain when you are determined. Determination is a tonic that keeps achievers and champions moving forward; it’s a key element in overcoming temporary setbacks and reaching ultimate success. No matter how life or the…

  • Psalm: Your Cymbal

    I’m Your cymbal, the one who plays the bells, None except You can make me appreciate life better Start a blog here.

  • Wilderness by Robin Bliss

    Old Sol is low in the sky, drifting down Resting in the meager filtered shade On this hillock we can see the distant horizon Before us stretches the limitless plane Almost totally flat except for a Tor Standing stark and naked ebony Silhouetted against the brilliant firmament Protruding towards the heavens,rocky and rugged And the…

  • Forgiveness

    When you forgive people the greatest beneficiary is you. Yes, some pain is grave and some injuries are bloody, but no matter how gravely hurt you are, never forget that: Between you and your next level is a betrayal. Don’t worry if people finally understand you, release them, let go and let God. The secret…

  • Follower of the Month

    Hello friends, It’s a tough time, isn’t it? Hang on, things will make sense soon. I just had this thought and reasoned it may be fun too. I’m going to write and dedicate a poem to a follower as a way of saying thank you. Since I can’t afford to give books, flowers or other…

  • Weekend Wish

    I give you this green heart 💚. It’s a symbol of life💚 and abundance💚, of contentment and gratitude for another fine day. That’s my wish for you this sunny beautiful African morning.

  • Two Poems: Together we watch day end and my Dancer

    (1) TOGETHER WE WATCH DAY END Baobab and Palm are shelters, Glittering stars are my friends, Waterfalls and Lions, my brothers And together we watch day end. (2) MY DANCER I steal a glance when you dance Memories of pouting lips haunt me I dreamed of you and I once But wished it away if…

  • Tradition: Ohafia War Dance (Ikpirikpi Ogu)

    Intro: Ohafia is a town in Abia State in Nigeria, it consists of 26 communities with Elu as the ancestral capital. Many people have asked questions about Ohafia War Dance. In the olden days, Ohafia was known for their bravery during tribal wars. At present, Ohafia is still known as land of warriors. It was…

  • Tale of The Musk Rat

    Once upon a time In a land far, far away Where the forests were untamed And animals had clans and kingdoms There lived a young musk rat Who loved his mother so much And took good care of her He would go hunting for fruits And exotic vegetables from the forests And brought them home…

  • Simple Things

    Remind me daily of how lucky we are; Of green trees to climb and the free air Of distant farmland stretching into sunrise Of waterfalls and rocks that we hide & seek And numerous pretty birds that we see

  • Thoughts on Covid-19

    Even with the breaking news of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Abia State, some still doubt the media and think that the news is a hoax. People can be stubborn you know, add ignorance and then you can imagine what it can birth. The human nature is fraught to benefit at the expense of others. This…

  • Motherland

    Envelope me in your warm embrace I’m safe, when I run to your open arms

  • Traveler

    The traveler is like the sun Traversing the length of Earth Seeing people, and their cultures The traveler is a blast of wind Which blows hot and cold, And dust is his glad companion The traveler is like the compass Searching for the North pole, Seeking lands that come along The traveler is a fancy…

  • I’m a Shepherd

    I’m a shepherd, living all by myself Of course there are people all about But none share my believes and thought I dream away alone, such is my life Early mornings are my quiet times So I speak life to the day when I wake Hoping to see my reflection on the lake And to…

  • Folktale: The Tortoise and His Broken Shell

    Gather around friends. How was your day today? Good to know it was fine. Mine wasn’t bad either. I hope this breezy evening gives us more than this beautiful folktale I’m about to tell. Remember to note the morals that accompany it. I have also italicized the proverb in the story. Once upon a time,…

  • My muse

    Your voice is like the Nightingales I laugh at our goofy-selves But that’s one of those signs, That I love you even more

  • Colourful Beauty

    I could describe you with colours So I look to your pout, a rose patch, You blushed when our grey eyes met, Then a smile that reminds me of glee Now your pretty face reminds me of the sun, When she rise from the back of many hills Dragging her gold blanket before farms So…

  • Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

    Things Fall Apart is a novel written by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. Published in 1958, its story chronicles pre-colonial life in the south-eastern part of Nigeria and the arrival of the Europeans during the late nineteenth century. It is seen as the archetypal modern African novel in English, one of the first to receive global…

  • What’s in a name?

    A name indicates a person, place or thing. It may reflect why a person bear it. For instance, one can say Akpan, the first born or Judy, the mechanic. So a name can serve as a trait, feature or attribute. In African culture, people name their children after circumstances they passed through, events they evidenced…

  • Amuse: Singina likes my tales

    “I remember your funny and lovely tales,” she yawned “You complete my day with those poems of yours!” At first I wasn’t sure of what I did right exactly, But as a shepherd I find pleasure writing about life, Telling of my travel, of my long days and how it ends Now, tomorrow I shall…

  • By Still Waters

    By still waters, happiness is found

  • Self Reflection 26: Be Kind

    Be generous with kind words and deeds.

  • That Leap of Faith by Arunav Barua

    Ever woke up scared, disoriented and not knowing where? Open your eyes and you’d see that the Sky’s still there Even the worst nightmare passes away with a little smile All that we need is a heart strong enough to withstand while The planet remains, its beauty intact, hidden in white pages That are real…

  • Self Reflection 24: Be Strong, Be Yourself

    “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment”_Ralph Waldo Emerson

  • Nostalgia: Traveling memories

    I remember my first attempt at hunting. I was a little boy then and just arrived my hometown for holidays. It was fun and I was glad I went home. As a town boy I had little experience in hunting and general country life. Traveling home was a great way to get in touch with…

  • Smile for me

    Smile for me beautiful child Show me your happy face Let me find inner peace Because of your beautiful smile Do not be shy Let those lips part, Let your joy fill me with hope Let me see those little dimples And the lines of your face Smile for me pretty African child Let go…

  • Information on Covid-19 in Local Languages

    This is Umukwu, Amune Ovim in Isuikwuato. An uncle sent this video to me yesterday. I’m happy to see this happen. Now that information about the virus is spread through local languages, I expect to see some change in attitude and willingness to observe social distancing. The video is in Igbo language. I think the…