Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Category: Pastoral

  • Swift Breezes

    Swift breezes welcome me to my hometown My mind is at rest, for the love felt around Palm trees are sentries, termites their soldiers Cherries and mangoes throw fruits, sweet as sugar Swift breezes blow through our quiet neighbourhood I stand under tree shades, with my hands raised When tree leaves struggle all about breezy…

  • The Rainmaker’s Tales 2

    Now it was tradition that young men Cut wood in the neighboring forest Before they are allowed to chose a maiden There was no axe in the town and nearby hamlets So young men did desperate things, Mirtle was a young man, deformed in one hand, Humbly dull, but very courageous Youth of the hamlet,…

  • True Leadership

    Earlier this evening, I overheard the women talk; my mother, aunts, some helpers and my little sister. From my room window, I heard their discussion on the funeral and all they did to make it a success. Usually, I don’t eavesdrop on women chats, but I couldn’t help but listen to this particular discussion. I…

  • Ide Stream

    We took a walk through Ovim. I decided to show my friends around. Just after Ugwu Uwaoma, we saw the table mountain. From the distance, it looked magnificent. Further ahead, we came across the stream Ide, with her tide gliding smoothly through the green forest. The stream is deep and some fish trapping go on.…

  • Poems of The Night

    Night falls after the sun And to homes we all return Counting the days stress and toil Letting the darkened kettle boil And preying our eyes on passing people While we eat out plates of sweet potato When the full moon came out The whole clan grants a sit-out, The infants, the boys, girls, men,…

  • Adieu Sister: Chioma Iroegbu

  • Love Challenge 10

    Twist and turns, hills and valley, Day and night, your love is home

  • Love Challenge 9B

    Just call on my name, I’ll be there To show you how much I care

  • Diary of a Village Boy: The Leopard Spirit 5 (Fata)

    When I reached 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 my foot. By the side of my bamboo bed Nene and her dog sat, staring at me. She held my hand and squeezed softly. I saw…

  • Love Challenge 9

    I love to stare into your eyes That’s my favourite place to be

  • Reflection: Sad Evening

    I sit outside the house alone. It’s hot inside and few hours ago our house was filled with people who came to pay their last respect to my late sister. I’ve been busy, mentally and emotionally that I hardly had time for my physical self. People who knew me observed that I lost weight. Three…

  • Love Challenge 8

    Memories flood my big head But I find it joyful to say few I count myself graced for your love

  • African Landscapes

    These images represent different African landscapes… Can you identify the Sahara, Kalahari and veldt?

  • Love Challenge 7

    You are loved and admired I am your biggest fan and friend You are God’s gift and love to me

  • Thoughts on Love

    We don’t know what we miss or get when we make decisions concerning relationships. Sometimes what we seek might come packaged in disguise. Love is dynamic and may come in different shades. If you love someone, do not hesitate to tell them. Have a lovely night. Our love challenge continues tomorrow.

  • Love Challenge 6B

    Your words become silent lyrics to my soul When every evening we lay in each others arms Letting our thoughts roar with the warm fire Dreaming, resting by the fireside, away From the world and her noisy hustle

  • Love Challenge 6

    The hair on your hands are like reeds That flourish by the river side Light chocolate is your skin colour

  • Love Challenge 5

    On your face the sun rise Like vale-lands hidden by the high hills The dark is pushed away when you wake

  • The Cricket’s Sorrow

    I laid my bones down to rest An airy night, dark and quiet, When a thought swept over me I was still awake When I heard it I heard it screech A cold voice, not far from me I paused, listened A neighbor coughed from the next flat and bothered it So quietness stayed for…

  • Love Challenge 4

    You make my heart merry In my dreams I see your face And wake to your beautiful smile

  • Love Challenge 3

    The swift surge of the evening air Compares not to your amazing smile Your glittering teeth, oh splendor of my soul

  • Love Challenge 2B

    I don’t care what people say I admire your soul, your drive Your spirit and how you love me I love you back, that’s what matters

  • Love Challenge 2

    Like graceful deer you walk, The soft sound of your foot thrill me, Thrills softly the drums of my heart

  • Images: Growing Up

    These images show children having fun in the African countryside. I can relate to most if not all…

  • Love Challenge 1

    Your words are sweet like honey Freshly taken from combs off tree barks And melting in my lips, like butter on fire

  • African morning

    In the morning the mild golden sun rise above the huts and hills Painting the corn fields yellow and making the streams shimmer Upon flowing rivers it glitters, till the dead end below a tree root Big fishes stay ready to strafe up to pick insects off tree barks In the hamlets, dogs chased cats,…

  • You all, my Valentine…

    You’re very special to me and I love you 💓💕😘. Happy Valentine. 💝💜💛💟💞💙💚💗

  • Your Smile

    Your smiles are good therapy, they tickle my soul It takes me to great heights of love and brings me joy When you smile, you remind me of the rose flower, The parting of your red lips, a memory to cherish In your beautiful warm smile I find unspoken love, It showed me untold and…

  • Valentine

    Hallo everyone! It’s Valentine. I wish you all a happy Lover’s Day. The essence of our humanity is love. I like to ask a favour from everyone. Can you join me to show the less privileged love today (and beyond)? Let’s give out our old cloths and furniture, anything you can think of. I will…

  • Beautiful South Africa

    Take a moment and breath… 💙💚🌺🌻 Images from I Love South Africa page…

  • Homesick rhyme

    |. I’m coming back, that’s my happiness Tell the strong boys and beautiful girls, Get the boys to gather much wood And the girls to sweep the compound I have got many stories for all, haha So get ready, our nights will be longer! Go on, run along now, and tell them ||. Tell Mama…

  • Shepherd’s Tales: King David

     The day ends with significant stress for David But to him, this was not a challenge As he walked through the hamlet and passed by an inn, ‘Hello David! Have a drink with men, Come and have some fun, will you?’ A soldier called David passed ‘Oh no, sire, I will be late for…

  • Let’s take a walk

    Let us take a walk through the pine forest, Under the cool shade which she provides, Through the path where tree leaves form a cushion And a place where squirrels make their abode Let us walk pass the dark shrubs in the hot noon, To feed our eyes on mother Nature’s wonders, Through lands where…

  • Muse: Life

    Quiet breezes roam this evening, I let my weary mind stroll with it, Walking it down these streets of life, And reflecting on life’s true meaning, Aware of seasons, of sowing and reaping, I wonder if life come in such seasons, And when stars die, if they fall off from heaven Or if there’s such…

  • February Harmattan

    Harbinger of Sahara, king of the queer dust I hail you! Your entourage of heavy sand storms and dunes Display there works of art on our glass windows and faces You give us very strange attires, ghostly ones We wonder, we make guesses of why you love the dust, Why you paint all; flowers, careless…

  • Home

    Home is where dance classes are unconventional, where meals are sumptuous and delicious no matter what. 😋 Home is cute smiles and beautiful memories and faces; green grasses and blue skies. 🙂 Home is happy hugs and pats, joyful and sometimes sad stories, when things change, we still end with it. 🤗 Home is a…

  • Health, our new Wealth

    Health is a new wealth! Here are some factors that may help us live healthily. Our psychology plays a significant role in our wellbeing. If you think healthy thoughts, you’ll be healthy. We were thinking healthy means being conscious of our internal and external environment and knowing how to maintain a proper balance. As a…

  • Dramatic sky over Kalahari

  • Reflection: Friendship

    Friendship is a beautiful gift. True friendship drives away all sort of fear and loneliness. It’s even said in myths that trees feed each other through their roots. So there are benefits to networking and keeping true friends. Note that friendship is central to human survival and that humanity thrives better in community.

  • Golden Savannah images

  • Muse: My Prize

    My songs are for you, Darling you’re my prize And I’ll run to the finish line

  • Humane-ity

    I arrived school with headache as I was stressed from doing many chores and sleeping less. I was a nanny, a mother, a father and a guardian, all put in one. Also, Jindu was sick and I nursed him. When my mom took my sister to the hospital, I had to prepare Jindu’s meals and…

  • Elegy to you, Peace

    I remember your smiles dear sister, Your struggle to live in this pathetic world, Your last smile and when you slept in peace I glad that your pains are no more Though I miss you and we may live alone I still see tree leaves fall from the window side, Sitted on the lawns that…

  • Tungan Maje By Michelle Basil

    Our relationship with family and friends, with our immediate environment and passion for others makes us human. Michelle Basil is my guest this beautiful and sunny morning. This is her story. Michelle believes that simple things in life matter. She is a lover of outdoors, sunshine and trees. Her favourite spot is Tungan Maje, the…

  • A shepherd’s song

    There’s a song known only to a shepherd, When evenings come and the sun light fade He sits with his sheep in the barnyard And plays the guitar through the early night Hounds howl, but his lyrics reassures his flock Stars gather across the sky to listen, he winks at them And when he retires,…

  • Tales of the Wildwood: The Beginning

    Let me tell you about this poetale which was before “Summer returns” and journey of the Ice King who traveled away from his love, the Great Mountain. Winter brought her cold blanket and all living things knew not what to make of her appearance. *** Once upon a Time It was winter And a night…

  • Tales of the Wild Woods: Summer time

    When beautiful summer came… Upon the glades and vales of the wild woods The Mountain took her position and stood quietly by the forest side, Sniffing the sweet smell come from fresh growing flower shrubs Happy birds came flying home Followed by pretty insects and the boar herd The skies tinted with blue skirmish Sometimes…

  • I’m happy motherland!

    I’m happy dear motherland, I’m happy! I’m happy to lay my head on your shoulders To sniff your wet hair that smells like cocoa butter! My feet is swift to run to the wild So I wash my feet on the stream’s slow tide I fright mambas and laugh at mating frogs All cold morning…

  • Visit Africa: Benin in Images

    Discover beautiful Benin in a few images💚💙

  • Haiku: Sunset

    Fast the sun traveled awayHappy birds fly homeWhen evening breeze came