Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Category: opinion

  • Quote: Being Good

    I chose to smile and be happy because I have known sorrow and sadness. I chose to be nice because I may never meet that stranger again and would be left with memories. Overall, I chose to be good because tomorrow is not promised, and today might be the only chance to be kind to…

  • Reflection: Homelessness

    Homelessness is injustice. It’s inequality. Homelessness I sit on the warm comfort of blankets and my bed. It rained some few hours ago. It was cold out there. I knew this as the strong winter air hit my face when I tried to open the window. I had options; sit warm with the window closed…

  • December

    Dear Friends, It’s almost time for the holidays! It’s nearly time for rest from school work, and December started with mild rain. The soothing and soft sound of rainfall outside and the quiet morning hours remind me how dependent man is on his environment. There’s joy in simple things like the sound of rainfall or…

  • Quotes on Success

    Success is a journey. It only takes a collection of little steps to get there. Never let your success get to your head. Failure is part of success. So keep going. Keep taking those steps, and it will all start making sense. Refuse to back down. Resilience is key.

  • Gratitude & Blindness (Poem)

    Gratitude You know it’s human nature sometimes to forget where it all began. There’s a beginning to everything. Remembering the little beginnings helps trump unnecessary egos. Everybody was once a kid; some were poor, sick, this or that, but never consumed by the vicissitudes of life. Even when some things turn good or bad, they…

  • Quote: Home

    Home is a warm hug

  • Reflection: Favourite Time

    Sunset is my favourite time of the day. Not only are evenings made for telling stories but are moments of self-reflection and truth. It’s the sun’s way of reminding everyone of the need to take some break from the day’s hustle. In Africa, it’s a time of rest. Each time I travel to the countryside,…

  • Quote on Grace

    Grace is free sovereign favor to the ill-deserving.” – Benjamin B. Warfield

  • Held by Ropes!

    Limits like fears are often just an illusion – Michael Jordan Limitations In my last post on African proverbs, we discussed how the eyes become useless when the mind is blind. In this short story below we will understand more about mental limitations. Held by Ropes! A gentleman was walking through an elephant camp and…

  • Quote: Don’t Give Up

    How high can a sycamore grow? If you cut it down, you will never know – Pocahontas

  • February: Month of Love

    It’s a brand new day! February is designated as a month of love and affection. Show some kindness this month.

  • Notes on Confidence

    Confidence defines behaviours and actions, so this new year, let’s do ourselves favours by believing we are whole and accompanying these thoughts with actions that make us grow. So, be grateful every second for who you are and this will change your internal believes over time. What you tell yourself will either make you attract…

  • Depression

    The English dictionary defined depression as a state of mind producing serious, long-term lowering of enjoyment of life or inability to visualize a happy future. Many people experience this daily. Depression sucks out the joy and life of an individual even when the person is still living. Honestly, I think being sad is the youngest brother…

  • Choices

    What we do in life echoes for eternity. Maximus Choices are tender,Just like mirrors,They are a reflectionOf what is or will beSo if in or out,Be mindful of optionsIf in, maybe gaily securedIf not in, then out of mindDecisions made every dayComes knocking many years,So let it be good always.

  • Quote on Perseverance

    Remember, people, the universe; everyone is waiting to applaud you. Stay focused on your dreams.

  • The Wind Cheers

    The Wind Cheers the wind cheers for meit dubs me great names,gives an account of tales,I missed in my absenceand let me dance with her airs.out in the tranquil forestwhere all elegant things roam,where all beautiful birds sing,and where memories encounterthe ancient, undulating altitudes,sits Ovim, my darling land!the land of bravery,the land of my father,and…

  • Quotes on Kindness

    There’s so much power in love and compassion. The first part of healing is finding the courage to forgive. Let your message to the world be one of kindness and humanity. Love is the fuel that keeps the world glowing. Light the world.

  • Quote: On Confidence

    When you believe in yourself anything is possible.

  • Rhyme: Play or Labour

    Make Hay While It Shines I’ve written this short rhyme for kids and teens. It came to me when I remembered the story I read as a school kid—the tale of lazy hoppers and busy ants. The ants were seen as losers because they had no time for frivolities. Indeed, the ant clan spent most…

  • Quote: On Love

    To give and receive love, we need not wait for perfection – Oke Iroegbu.

  • Folklore: Cat Skin from Project Gutenberg

    There was once a king, whose queen had hair of the purest gold, and was so beautiful that her match was not to be met with on the whole face of the earth. But this beautiful queen fell ill, and when she felt that her end drew near she called the king to her and…

  • Break The Silence by Njabulo N.

    Police Brutality Police brutality is a disaster. It’s quite unbearable to watch the ones we entrust with our lives and protection evolve into civil nightmares and agents of dismay. Sometimes it seems that people do not have rights anymore. While there are global protests against police brutality, little is done by government institutions to address…

  • Speak Up

    Silence is not always golden When it comes to caution and discipline, silence may be an adversary. Take, for example, seeing a kid who rides bicycles on the busy road and deciding not to warn him of the hazard. Also, consider not calling the police instead preferring to record or watch gang violence across the…

  • Thought for the Week: Patience and Perseverance

    Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear, and obstacles vanish – John Quincy Adams These two virtues distinguish success from failure, achievement from disappointment. If one can adopt them, then they can conquer the world. Reflect on this.

  • 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…

  • Quote on Family

    Learning from mistakes together is how a family works.

  • Quote: On Happiness

    Happiness is contagious; spread it. It is a direction and not a place. Spread it as you go. 🙂

  • I Gained My Freedom

    Freedom sometimes does not come free. Gained My Right of Way Reminiscing on my primary school days, I would say I didn’t have much interest in the games provided for school kids. I was not too fond of the swing. I had no joy in rocking back and forth on a piece of the metal…

  • Quote: Life Is A Circle

    Life is a circle, and stories take us all around it. © Oke Iroegbu

  • Igbo Proverb: Sound of The Bitter Cola

    Igbo: Ùda akùilu abùghí ùtō ya English: Bitter Cola doesn’t taste like its sound (literally). Background: Just like the name, bitter cola is a very bitter fruit! Sometimes I do wonder why it’s not called a ‘very bitter cola.’ Alongside the kola nut and garden egg, it is commonly used as a ‘welcome fruit’ in…

  • Opinion: Eurasia & Nagorno-Karabakh 2

  • Opinion: Eurasia & Nagorno-Karabakh

  • Racism

    It costs absolutely nothing to be kind Live and Let Live An Igbo (African) proverb goes thus: Let the Eagle perch, let the Kite (bird) perch also. Any that forbids the other from perching let his wings break! We say that as prayers in West Africa because it’s a reminder and belief that all men…

  • Poets Corner: Difference between Wisdom, Knowledge and Education.

    My take on this… It’s generally believed that knowledge is power. Yet many find it difficult to differentiate between wisdom and knowledge. For me knowledge is having the stuff while wisdom boils down to application of the stuff. To differentiate both from education is even a thing of further logic. In my opinion education should…

  • Farewell Nkosi, the Black Panther

    Life, like mist, is temporary, but legacies live on and last forever. The Black Panther I get easily bored with movies. It’s hard to see me watching TV anyway. No matter how much I try, I only watch National Geographic Wild and Discovery documentaries. But when a movie truly hooks me, I can watch it…

  • Quote on Courage

    I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. Nelson MandelaAt a time colonial forces and indigenous South Africans fought over land rights and freedoms, a courageous man spoke up for his…

  • Quotes on 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…

  • Reflection: Counting the Costs 1

    At times, you need to stop everything you are doing to sit alone and mend your broken wings. Cold evening and a to-do list I sit outside on a cold evening. There’s a community of crickets chirping through the grassland. A gust of wind brushes my face, causing my helpless lamp to sway back and…

  • Quote on Love

    Of all the magic in the world, none is more powerful than love. …And that’s if we accept that any other thing qualify as magic. Love is a driving force. It can change things; perceptions and imaginations. Great achievements are accomplished through it. Great writers wrote about it. It’s something beautiful to love. Imagine what…

  • Poem: Twilight

    Beginning and end Light after dark Dark before light Darkened skies With dancing fireflies Breezy evening Joyful moonlight And glittering stars A shepherd’s lore Down the country Sheep and goats, Green and gold, Patches of life, Water and fire, Dust and wind, Heaven and earth All in fine contrast But happy unison Shallow roots shoot…

  • Beirut

    Beautiful Beirut and AUB I’m writing about this lovely Mediterranean city because of my connection and attachment to it. I’ve seen several YouTube videos of it’s beautiful landscape and neighborhood. Beirut combines the tranquil setting of ancient history with the thrill of a modern city. I followed some Beirut based vlog channels and it’s always…

  • Opinion: Leadership Woes

    Admitting imperfections are great ways to becoming a better person, people and leaders. City of Talents and Resilient people I was born and raised in Ogbor hill, a suburb of Aba, a city in Southern Nigeria. Aba is known for its industry and export of labour to many Nigerian cities and overseas. The city is…

  • Keeping Valuable Relationships

    Sometimes those who crown kings don’t look like kings and may never become kings but they can help one wear the crown. A short story There was a poor man who wrote a book at the age of 40 and decided to launch it on his birthday. He had no money to fund the launching…

  • Story: Be there for someone

    An old man once told me the story of how as a young man, his mother used to ask him: “What is the most important part of your body?” Through the years, he would take a guess at what he thought was the correct answer. First time, his answer was: “The ears.” The mother replied:…

  • Mechanics of Savings: a Christian perspective

    Mechanics of Savings and Financial Intermediation Savings as described by financial analysts are the portion of income which are not used for consumption expenditures. They are referred to as investments, because huge portions of such savings in financial institutions constitute the capital extended to businesses, governments, individuals and other entities as loans. This is done…

  • 8 August: Birthday Wish

    Birthdays are rare They come once in a year Unique Birthday: A set of Eights! Ah, it’s today. 8th day of 8th month of the year 2020. I usually write poems or stories to celebrate but this year’s birthday is unique. So instead of a poem I’ll muse about the actual numbers that made my…

  • Happy Belated Friendship Day

    – Friends are family we chose for ourselves. Didn’t forget I didn’t forget about the World Friends Day. I do write about friendship because it’s dear to me. I was extremely busy with personal and family errands. I also volunteer online for a company based in North America, and so had little time to pen…

  • Courage

    The breadth of earth lay wet But the sun rise from the east, From vague sights and mists The dark jungles, hot and serene Yet lions stride through the green Fearing neither man or faun A shriek up the skies… Eagles soar high; many miles Hopes high, they seeth thru’ times The wind surfs wild…

  • To my childhood…

    I like to watch the sun rise, to wait while she cast her beauty on earth, So I wake early to fly my kite, to gather the stray bugs, worms and locust, The fields are my playground, a partner to hides and seek, I watch the sun, her golden smile, and light it brought to…

  • Quote: Dream big

    You’ll never know… Just dream. Dream big.