Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Category: Poetry

  • Silhouette

    It is the sunsetSmiling up those hillsNothing left behindBut silhouettes of loveI stand before you, you before meSharing, staring into those blue eyes, While the sunsetQuietly before us

  • Night Poem: Feelings

    Starry nightWishes mutualLove feelings

  • Sounds of Rain

    Rooftops flyCurtains sailSounds of rain

  • In This Moment | Arunav Barua

    There’s a war raging, so we understand, or made toHere, there’s a child who goes to school without a shoeSaw a boy trying to collect garbage, no school for himDid you have your sumptuous breakfast? So, it’d seem That old lady who can’t walk straight, goes around aloneShe has never held a gadget, oh! Recharged…

  • Hope

    I heard the wind:‘Cry no more, child‘

  • Tale of a Moonless Night

    there’s no moon tonight,just littering galaxies,there’s pitch darknesson the path leading homeshadows grip the passerbywe are told night is no friend. this night of unusual aura,thoroughly cold and dreamy,of hills surrounded by mists,and a village amidst a relic,dreams are not far awaythe night sounds are lullaby. flickering lights come aliveunnatural solar lamps glintgreen forest and…

  • Night Poem: Bald Moon

    Misty tasteBald moonshineLonely silhouettes

  • A Shepherd’s Grin

    Dear friends, this little piece below is an invitation to smile. No matter what you are passing through, smile. I have won angry or unhappy hearts with a smile; we can win anything with it! A cold twilight of sortLost in quick thoughtsWhen black clouds sailAway with the day’s memoriesThe crickets and owls,Galaxies and moonshine,All…

  • Flower| Robin Bliss

    Wandering slowly down the streetMoving dead beat weary feetWanted to go out,get some airSo exhausted, as I can bearSeeing flattened wooden benchSitting on it makes some senseResting now my tired bonesWith a sigh and quiet groans Thinking I’ve had enough of lifeWith this illness so much strifeThen I saw a flower growingHow it got there…

  • Muse: Granny’s Clay Pot

    Memories Most traditional pots in Igboland are made from moulded clay dried in kilns. In times past, the Igbo society is well known for pottery. Water collected from streams and springs is fed into the big pot. So through the night, the clay pot makes the water chill. In the morning, a cup of water…

  • My Dive | Eriata Oribhabor

    I met your mystery…And dream steam burningBefore my muse-ful call…My turn and ease-ful freedom…Your cursery look, my thirst… I saw your power…Clean sparkling watersTucked from our quartersReveling in towering calmOf surrounding greens. I smiled at a dive…Challenged to striveFor same…not one to standAnd watch from the stands.I took a dive. Commentary: Mr Eriata is a…

  • Tweets

    Lovely tweets From treelines Hot midday

  • Morning Aura

    This dawn, the mist,Evoked a modest tone The smell of the lush forestOver nature’s fair kindness

  • Muse: The Promise

    As long as there’s the sun in the sky and the moon that takes its place at night, you’ll always have my love.

  • Muse: When You Smile

    It’s past 6 AM, and I’m up musing about love. I woke up writing a love poem. Love makes us do crazy things, right? Most of my love messages transcend a person, it’s my passion for humanity, for life and hope. February is marked to celebrate love. Expect more love musings! Good morning. Muse: When…

  • Soar

    Fly happy Soar higher Free as air

  • Valentine’s Day Quote

    The best thing to hold onto in life is each other – Audrey Hepburn

  • Uganda

    Hills rise & fall Now the sky is vast Trees are green, All images of the countryside, Of flowery bouquets Fair birds sing & sail From trees on zeniths If we must listen, When they engage the world, Then we need to be silent When trees look on And grasses swerve It’s cos the wind…

  • Quote: Colours

    Colours are the smiles of nature – James Henry Leigh-Hunt

  • Night Sky

    Riddles known to the night sky When the galaxies shine They whisper a million tales Some of yours, a few of mine

  • Colours by Chidiebere A. Okoroji

    Poetry collection:Rough, Tough and Enough Colours are something we don’t hide,Even if it changes, it takes no side,One heart, one soul for a ride,Love, hate, trust all wild,My circle, my life, my faith, so wide. Colours digging fast for a dot,For a moment I went deep in thought,So much I wasn’t taught,These colours — in…

  • Nightfall Dreams

    Nightfall dreams Ride through light clouds Home will surely tell tales

  • Patience | Najwa Zebian

  • When by Robin Bliss

    When I leave this bodyFor a better place.Don’t cry or weep for me.For I am with you always,And always means forever. When you step outside and,Feel the wind on your face.It’s just my lips kissing you gently.When the wind catches your hairIt is my fingers playing softly. I am the sun shining from a sky…

  • Love Muse: Let’s Dance

    Oh, I’m trying… Generally, I’m trying to perfect my art of writing, and in particular for love and lovers. I believe love is a remedy to all problems faced by the human race. Well, without further ado, I present another love muse. Good night. ✌️ Let’s Dance Let’s dance under the moonlight, Hold my hands,…

  • Haiku: Morning

    Morning fresh Rosemary green Tree heaven

  • Welcome to Life Again By David Thane Cornell

    My sickbed’s a barren beach without a sail,And on a sheet of tepid moonlit sandI lie prone as though asleep, exhausted & pale.I’ll slip my fingers from death’s tightening hand;The vessel of my body cannot holdThe numbing stream of beauty pouring down.The sky ablaze with stars, so vast & old,Like Aaron’s rod, strikes water and…

  • Drifting Stars

    You remind me of drifting stars,Of sops ripening in the daybreak,I clasp to your arms as a childFor you have become my worldThe beginning and end

  • Amuse: The Hill

    A few miles away, stood a hill Which the simple villagers revere It is said that all cold and wind Came from the foot of the hill And so the villagers admired it, If their day was cheerless and hot It is that someone angered it, Took a piss on roots by the hillside Or…

  • Onyinye (Gift)

    Keep It On Lately, I have attempted to write more about love. In doing so, I decided to take some inspiration from my old work. I visited my archive and there’s a lot of rusty but good stuff. I grin when I see my old writing and how it has changed over the past decade.…

  • Woman

    The braids on your hairTypical of an African womanBlack and natural. Well fitStraight cheekbonesMixed into hair,Like a young gazelles face.Your nose is like the fine basketWhen you breathe, it’s a wonderSame with your walk on flowers When you dance, you smile,Showing teeth, unspoiledThe teeth: white and strongPerfect fitWhen you love, it is realYou’re black and…

  • Art

    Art means many things to different people. For me, art is an identity. This is an image from a friend from Algeria. I asked her to let me use it as this post’s picture. Hadjer is an artistic engineer. She loves painting and dreams of establishing a studio. Art is the beautyWe see up the…

  • Greens and Stones

    There’s so much beauty in the world, there’s so much pain too. Pain prevails more because man wants it so. I wrote this poem some time ago. It’s self-explanatory, so I need not talk much about it. The bottom line is that man, in his quest for wealth and power, has become an enemy to…

  • Hearts

    Man and Nature Indeed, man had been nature’s worst opponent. The impact of man’s activities causes a lot of harm to nature. Logging, mining, drilling, fishing, hunting, plastics, and more contribute to our polluted and darkening world. While we seek to light up our future egos, we end up darkening the possibility of sustainability. In…

  • What Genuine Poetry Looks Like

    Don’t worry, just write… Poetry is like we humans. Each poem is one different man. So we do not expect a poem to look ‘exactly’ like another. Each has its uniqueness. It need not be lengthy or short, it must not be like Shakespeare’s work, or like Okigbo’s piece. However, a poem can come in…

  • Love Poem: Tryst

    Breezes carry your memory; mild rosy fragrance, The wind may sing far into the quiet darkness But we wait patiently, craving for our happy tryst

  • Sound of Dance

    I heard the sound of shuffling feet As they moved on the dry grassland So I waited for the style for tonight Lost in the musical earth, Of grassy turns, faded sighs, A generous puff of midday wind, Trapped in a box of an eager heart

  • 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.

  • An African Lullaby

    Come closer, come hear the song I must sing this nightCome let us sit under the mango, let us enjoy the moonlight,The sweet breeze brings memories, like the quiet riversideWhich flows freely, running in peaceful haste thru the wild The cold day took her toil on our strengthBut the night fire hands us some warmthLean…

  • Muse: Nightfall

    Nightfall, one of tremendous cold, Glowing stars, showing the path Another stanza, a song of the heart Driving through the darkest sky An emotion known only to the herder

  • What Poets Gained From Writing Poems.

    Poetry Poetry is a composition in verse or language exhibiting conscious attention to patterns. The bolded are crucial to understanding the true nature of poems. Poetry has been in existence for centuries. As an art that survived centuries, I was curious to discover why lyrics are written for so long. And to those who write…

  • Little Excuses and Morning Rain

    Little Excuses Laziness and procrastination, two nasty brothers always look for excuses. It’s raining cats and dogs out there and the day just turned dark. Initially, I was like ‘ah, there’s a storm out there, thus I need a little nap’, but I know better. This morning rain won’t cheat me out of being productive.…

  • Love Poem: If

    Your pretty face reminds me of the sun,When she rose from the back of many hillsDragging her gold blanket before farmsSo if I am to paint a beautiful museI will imagine sunrise over wheat fieldsAnd imminent evening when birds fly home

  • My Tiger Stripes By Njabulo N.

    Self-Esteem In a world full of racism, competition, and all manner of vices, I chose to care less about people’s opinions of me. Hence I wouldn’t let those take all of my attention. I don’t have the time to worry about what others say in regards to my race, complexion, height, or status. I won’t…

  • Midnight by Robin Bliss

    Waking from my sleepGlancing at the clock, it’s midnightThe witching hour I thinkLightheartedly to myself The night is still, quietNo traffic noise at allNo wind blowing noisilyQuiet and peaceful here Except for the breathingOf my beloved, sound asleepRaising myself on my elbowI kiss her lovingly on the head She murmurs something. still asleepI’m glad that…

  • Night Song

    when night decides to play a song it will be a throbbing lullaby on the roof, flying insects buzzing by the window tally to this exhilarating night sound, and howling from the wind, so deep resound, whereas the night is young

  • Sweet Lemons by Njabulo N.

    Twists You may agree that lemons are not as sweet as they look. Some of the species are not just sour but bitter. When life gave us lemons, we learned to make lemonade and every poet knows how to paint this well. Enjoy this piece straight from eSwatini. Sweet Lemons I wish I could use…

  • Folklore: The Shed of Trees Is Our Home

    The shed of trees is our playful home It’s where we learn to sing and dance, Under it, we wait for the moonlight, It’s a citadel when we play our games, Limbs we cling to, to mock the monkeys, It’s the grand shanty where father’s tales are told, The onset and climax of night where…

  • See The Sun Rise

    Observe high above the sky; when the cloudy, golden sun drift away, Hiking by her side is the hilly country, where shines colours of day, Glittering clouds, a nought abundance of gold may define the beauty, The smell of dew on dry clay on air; life wakes to benevolent serenity, The earth is up; with…

  • Muse: Listen To The Talking Drum

    Permit me to etch this melodious stanza upon your heart Let the verbal rhythm be greeted with this fair talking drum, Give me your ears, let them listen as lyrics tell of the night frog Who challenged the melodious nightingale to a song duel