Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Category: Poetry

  • Paper People by Harry Baker

    Excellent spoken poetry! Enjoy.

  • Ruptured Emotion by Deborah Nnagbo

    The cry was deep and internal. The smile was blue and unreal. The little jitters of unrest made marmot parade on her chocolate face. She has a curse to carry through the streets of life. A lump in her sore throat. A choking smell of betrayal, swimming in and out her tiny nostrils. Did you…

  • Shameless Love by Okoroji Chidiebere Alexander

    They say I love you, Yeah I do, I’m shameless about it, I’m weak to confront you, Your very appetites, As I find no alternative. I’m shamelessly in love, The disease is not new, Probably there’s a dew, We only had but a few, I’m the Judas in the twelve. Some probably won’t get it,…

  • Shepherd’s poem

    From bed of wool, sound of settling sheep bemused him Far up the night sky, stars want and rain was on her way These three things blessed the Shepherd’s thoughts and rest

  • Initiated Relationship by Okoroji Chidiebere Alexander

    I was drunk last night, Thinking about your very words, How this our love is an initiation, And not a relationship, What I call, inspired spirituality. You accosted the actions, While prolonging your decisions, You never truly loved me, Will it be best I say; You rather used me, I have heard men are scum,…

  • Haiku: Tides

    Sunshine, blue skies and approaching tide Brown crabs crawl away, walking sideways Amused egrets follow, escorting their trail

  • Rainfall, Drummer of the Year!

    Nothing compares to the feeling you bring, With queer beats, you spice up Summer, Singing as in songfests with the Thunder!

  • Muse: Swift Stream

    The blue stream flow swift Three patient toads sit aghast Waiting for the current to pass

  • Haiku: Sunset

    Grey shades fall on the land, fast travels the sun through the clouds Songs of slumber, dog barks, the airy evening’s last memories, Time to wake all night creatures, crawling or walking

  • My Muse

    I love your dimples, joyful grace on your smiles It stole my stare each time I looked at your face, Night falls herald day’s end and our retirement But for the Sun’s slumber we gladly wait Evening is timid, passing through the horizon, The setting sun took her gold from morning There’s a fire made…

  • I Felt Roses by Okoroji Chidiebere Alexander

    It was a dream, The deepest of it, The silent have it, But this moments stole it, I whisper a little, She knew, It was love, She felt it, I never wanted it back, I gave it, A shyly shaky witty love. Oh no, What if I dent the colours, I spoilt it with odours,…

  • Don’t Forget by Okoroji Chidiebere Alexander

    Don’t forget how we started, Don’t forget where we met, The circumstances, How it happened, Don’t forget so soon! I was just like a stranger, The other day, I was a nobody to you, A commoner, An ordinary soul, Flying and searching for love, Searching for hope, In pursuit for happiness, Until the encounter, Don’t…

  • Muse: Evening Rain

    Listen… Hear the clouds rumble, for it rains again Soft breezes from the quiet evening Come drumming, mildly on the pan, The rooftop has got a companion Up this ancient forested hills The trees dance and twist To songs from the Winds tongues From the pond, the back-up frog choir get set, Waiting for their…

  • Haiku: Searching the Flames

    The unhappy hawk search the burning bush Folk say she was scouting for her old granny, But an escaping rabbit caught her attention instead

  • Poetale after the Days work

    Now we gather by the fireside Waiting for yams to roast Warming our hands in the heat On this evening, cool and mild The dreams we wait to dream The waiting pillow beckoning The tales in hopes of telling And a joyful evening it seems The hot day had gone up those hills Releasing a…

  • Haiku: The Wind surfs

    How happy, the wind surf the sea! Bending double to strong waves, To escape the doom before her

  • Haiku: A Summer Walk

    Take a summer stroll down the green bush Find three squirrels play by fallen tree logs Splash! A frightened frog jumps into the quiet pond

  • A poem for Sailors

    See the sailors ships dance on the wave To the rising sun they prepare to sail Waiting to greet birds and smooth tides, And to dream when the evening rides See the sailors gather their sails With rum as their better companion They sing and tell tales from happy mouths, While the ready ship waltzed…

  • Nigeria

    In the morning, the sun rises Above the horizons and cliffs And on the smiling faces on the farms Hope rises with the sun, As the children roll out their bicycles To the tanned fields of the hamlet Followed by their pets, puppies and kittens A proud cloud draws a huge smile And on the…

  • Smile for me

    Smile for me beautiful one, Draw your joy, let it infect everyone Be happy when it goes well And when all seem uncertain But pay no heed to illusions, To thoughts that groom pain For when heavy storms gather, It takes a smile to break the fear Now consider the colorful rainbow, 🌈 How noiseless…

  • Teach me to Love you again

    For our love’s memory I cherish your love dose, Your care and your beauty, Each time the swift sun rose Gracefully, I recall our hopes… But the candle light dwindles And I miss you, now that it faints Teach me to love you again Embrace me when I fail; The hugs, cuddling, I’ll relearn- For…

  • Thoughts on Contentment

    Most vices become when there’s a lack of contentment. Burglary, pilfering, all manner of stealing, falsehood, and even hatred of oneself are all discontentment factors. I asked some elders about their thoughts on contentment, and they gladly led me through their wisdom. As we all know, happiness is a great virtue worth teaching our younger…

  • Happy Autumn song

    Autumn plays a game of colors Warm is her painted trees and land Sweet are the songs from her birds With the two, she gave benevolently *** Image by Yaran Qadr

  • Drums of Nature

    These are drums, of joy and fulfilment, Listen, Heaven sings her melodious hit Her clap of thunder startles me, Yet the raindrops act as my lullaby ** With Elabh

  • Muse: For you…

    Light will be my sweet, loving words With your faith I will stand my ground, For when I look into your pretty grey eyes I behold a warrior, your happiest desire! You are my delicate flower bud For you, I will sing and stand guard Songs, poetry and lavender perfumes, All my muse, my all…

  • Sharing the Love (with Franklin Onuoha for Charles Iroegbu)

    Happy birthday big brother. I have joined with Franklin Onuoha to dedicate this to you. I give credit to Franklin for the Title. We wish you greatness, peace, happiness and love. We celebrate you. Sharing The Love: If I would chose three Of people and things To take with me on a journey You will…

  • Dear South Africa

    Righteousness exalts a nation.

  • Poetry of Faith

    Mine is a poem from the heart, A voice in the desert Calling Listen to the truth Have some faith!

  • Amuse: Little flower

    Dear Little Flower sitting, On the wooden plate I can’t help but wonder Why you glow, so red, Will it be, the squirrel Asked you out And now, you’re red with blush?

  • You and I…

    You and I… Is my idea of a team Together, against odds, In ups and downs, Greatness and littleness, Plenty and scarcity You and I… Is my idea of love Our wish, against all odds, My help and friend My muse and madness One whose joy makes me happy

  • Four Nature Poems with Deborah Nnagbo, Shawny Johnson and Franklin Onuoha

    Ogbunike Cave by Deborah Nnagbo There it lies with an open mouth, Basking in the unadulterated air of tradition. Bidding me to come in unto her, Inside the sacred forest guarding the glory of a race. Slowly, I tiptoed into natures edifice. With eyes clothed with wonder. I could not but see the finger of…

  • African tales by Moonlight

    Living in the countyside was fun. I can’t forget the numerous activities/events I participated in. I remember the rodent hunting, farm work, fruit catching, swimming in the streams, wrestling fights and the night tales. My favorite was the night tales which was something else. How I love to sit in the warmth of other kids,…

  • The Wrong Way

    I sit by the cliff edge To watch the lights go out And one by one they went Nothing made sense As we live in disguise, Resting, Relaxing, Recessing, Recouping? From all our disastrous efforts But are we prisoners of earth? Do we have to let everything be? If I write alone, no one will…

  • Muse: The African Bride

    ‘I will never leave you! I will deh with you…’ He said, Tears rolled, freely She wept As her face went red It was clear he meant it, His words cut her open She must believe So he went away To fight in the World War When he returned to Africa, It was, with a…

  • Anyanwu Ututu m (My Morning sun)

    Anyanwu ututu m My gift and joy from God Onyem ji eme onu You glow like the red chilli And you are sweet, Sweeter than the palm wine, Ah nwanyioma m! When the village drums beat You dance with ecstacy Laughing when you move Sometimes, words fail me I can only ponder on God’s creativity…

  • Tiv Princess

    1 Princess The sun rise of the Tiv! From the Crowns crest You wore a lace, weaved Of many, herbs, jute, wool 2 In the midst of all You stand dazzling in the sun rise Hovering over others like the Iroko, tall, Beautiful, with such grace and height Leaving men wanting of desires *** Commentary:…

  • Titan

    I’m a Titan! For I dance under the greying skies, Strip the trees bare of green leaves And watch it slowly die with my pitchforks I’m a Titan I tease the streams and oceans So when they wash up dying lives on the dust I pity and sigh with discontentment I’m a Titan I dig…

  • Wealth of Summer

    “The flowers blossom in magnificent desires The tree leaves are greener, and the airs milder But are all these, the only wealth of the summer?”

  • Nnem (My Mother)

    Nnem oma, my sweet mother My best friend! Onyem, m ji eme onu Daada! Thinking of you Gives me great joy! My first love, my creator! Ina enyem obi anuri, Ina akasim obi, I can not quantify this joy You are my blessing Nkechinyerem! Learn Igbo language here. *** Commentary: I think everyone should be…

  • Muse: Piece of me

    I give you a piece of me To share in my personal joy, To share in my stories and tales I give you my time To prove how valuable you are, To record each second we live I give you a piece of me To prove to you how much I care, And how your…

  • In the Beginning

    In the beginning God made man So that we could make poetry To teach and talk to our souls

  • Love enough for me

    Glittering, You shone in the sun That is love enough for me

  • You hold the Winds

    You hold the Winds In Your great hands! For from away we see her toil As she sail above grass and soil With swift sweet airs she bless Earth that is brown and the green grass Heavenly airs bless each new day When we kneel to pray

  • Morning sun

    Spreading her white net, Morning wakes to her duties Gathering fresh scent From flowers and dew She casts upon the clouds Heavenly paintings A creation, perfect and mild One gift given to man

  • A Tale of the Wild Woods: Cold world

    When the last winter snow melted Several things had changed The tree leaves had less dew And the tree roots hid in the sand The skies were dark blue, Drawing images of floating clouds Few birds came sailing through the sky Larks, Swallows, Parrots and Cuckoos Danced in the clear skies And from the mist,…

  • End of the day

    Fast falls the evening tide Birds fly home With the clouds they went Traveling with the setting sun Airy winds bring nostalgia Birds call to one another Enjoying the day end Scent of wet clay Mixed with rotten veggies Fill the market square Home calls darlin’ And to you I return

  • Mirror

    Look through me See the glitter, On my face Feel the curves Of my ruddy face Let my gaze Be your mirror For all I think I’m not my skin

  • Gather the Harvest

    Throw the harvest to the air Catch the tumbling beans Let the wind take the chaff Break the nuts Gather the hops Let the sun bake them And in the morning Brew an African beer!

  • Moonlight

    Spherical white gold With memories impressed, Up the dark skies Riding on the clouds And sometimes to stand To light the woods, And the vales and heights Creating bold- Caricatures of trees, Images of the land The moon light Gives illumination To the world at night So the clouds may glow white

  • Knowledge

    I search through stacks of books Panting, tired, worried I wait for the rising sun, Riding across the skies To give some heat, some inspiration But yet it was elusive Seeming to change With each new day For when the sun came It brought news of it And before now in my search I created…