Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Category: Short story

  • Painting: The Void

    No caption came to my mind initially. But when I hung out with friends for a weekend drink, an idea came to me. So, ladies and gents, I present this colourful painting of mine to you. I call it: The Void. The Void is an uneven combination of black and blue. It’s a sketch of…

  • Story of Compassion: The Brick

    Dear Friends here is a story about compassion, shared by a close friend on Whatsapp. A young and successful executive was travelling down a neighbourhood street, in his new Jaguar. Suddenly, a brick smashed into his side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the car back to the spot where the brick had…

  • The Deaf Frog

    Frogs Can’t Fly The Deaf Frog A story was told in the land of frogs. A competition was organized, and the prize will go to the frog who gets to the top of an electric pole. ”Frogs can’t climb. How can this be? It’s impossible”, many frogs argued amongst themselves. When the whistle was blown,…

  • Briar Rose from Project Gutenberg

    A king and queen once upon a time reigned in a country a great way off, where there were in those days fairies. Now, this king and queen had plenty of money, and plenty of fine clothes to wear, and plenty of good things to eat and drink, and a coach to ride out in…

  • Africa’s First Story

    High up above the hills of Africa, the dark-winged clouds of the night were still folded above the village and surrounding valley. Man and the domestic animals that were his slept. But the antelope of the forest and the small fleet-footed gazelle were wide awake. In a short time, early morning dew descends from ancient…

  • Dialogue With The Storyteller 4

    Otii/Oyoo & Assumed Folk Characters Storyteller: Otii! Audience: Oyoo!! Storyteller: Some Igbo communities start their folklore session in that manner. This could be the equivalent of Ifochakpi and would usually be repeated until the audience shouts the loudest. What I do know is that the ifo in ifochakpi means tale in the Igbo language. The…

  • Dialogue With The Storyteller 3

    Another Igbo Folktale Introit Storyteller: Ifochakpi! Audience: Waa!! Storyteller: Enwere akuko m ga akoro unu (There’s a tale I wish to tell you all) Audience: Koro anyi ka obi di anyi mma! (Tell us, so that we can be happy!) Storyteller: I welcome you all again. The Igbo folklore tradition allows each storytelling session to…

  • Dialogue With The Storyteller 2

    Dialogue With The Storyteller 2

    Storyteller: Ifochakpi! Audience: Waa!! Storyteller: Nkita nyara akpa? (When a dog picks up his backpack?) Audience: Nsi agwu n’ohia! (All faeces in the bush go wanting) Storyteller: Spread your mats and sit at the foot of the tree. It was a long day for me, we could use a good story to wrap it up.…

  • The Richest Man

    No beauty shines brighter than a good heart When Bill Gates was still the richest man, somebody asked him if there was anyone richer than him. Bill Gates answered yes and started telling the story of a newspaper guy and his encounter with him. Gates said that while he was waiting for his flight, he…

  • Folklore: The Tortoise and the Rabbit

    The Mischievous Tortoise Do you ever wonder why Nnabe, the Tortoise, is always portrayed as a mischievous personality in tales? You are not alone. Sometimes I try to understand the nature of this fictitious character, how he reasons, and why he acts the way he does. I even ask why this animal was picked to…

  • Folklore: Tortoise and The Spirits 1

    Growing up Growing up was fun. School holidays took me to the countryside, where I was acquainted with folklore life. I have done strange but funny things like wearing a girl’s skirt to play with other children (that’s a story for another day), returning to the stream to bury a dead crab I killed, attempted…

  • The Crow and The Rabbit

    A Crow was sitting on a tree Doing nothing all day. A small Rabbit saw the Crow, And asked him, ‘Can I also sit like you And do nothing all day long?’ The Crow answered: ‘Sure, why not.’ So, the Rabbit sat on the ground Below the Crow, and rested. All of a sudden a…

  • The Egg, The Coffee Beans and The Potato

    A short story A little boy named John lived in a beautiful home with his parents. One day, his father found him crying and asked if something was wrong. John said meekly, “I have so many problems in life, and talked about his ‘problems’. John’s father patiently listened to him. Then he brought a bowl…

  • Reflection: A Cold World

    An empathetic mindset and love are what we need for a better world. It’s utterly monstrous weather out there. Each time the breeze touches my skin, I shudder and sneeze. I’m cuddled on the bed, clutching a phone in one hand in a dark room, too lazy to read or even find a light. No…