Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Category: thoughts

  • Notes on Leisure

    What do you enjoy doing most in your leisure time? This is a response to the prompt above. Leisure, for me, isn’t the opposite of work; it’s where I reconnect with myself. I enjoy unclaimed time—time that doesn’t require me to produce, justify, or perform. During these moments, thinking slows and becomes less goal-focused. I…

  • What This Blog Is Turning Toward This Year

    New Year Rigmarole You know, there’s just something about having to witness the New Year in California. We’re always one of the last places on Earth to welcome the new year. I have to celebrate “Happy New Year” with everyone, and even take a nap before I get to mine. Sometimes I tell my friends…

  • Perspectives: So Big, So Small

    I wrote a quote about this some time ago; this post is a revised version. I’ve always wondered how big an aircraft can be. Standing near one feels so massive that it could hold hundreds of people as they board. I often imagine the passengers inside a passing plane from the ground. Where are they…

  • Random Thoughts 1

    Here are some random thoughts I’ve been jotting down over the past week.

  • Truth

    And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free – John 8.32

  • Ina Murna – Obi n’atọm

    Would you dance to the beautiful rhythm in your heart and soul, or because of the warmth and smiles of loved ones and even strangers? What about the gentle breeze that caresses your body and mind? Or the encouraging words from good friends? Take a moment to look closely—there’s always something to be grateful for!…

  • A Month-Long Stay in California’s Nature Reserve

    Describe one of your favorite moments. One of my favorite experiences was my month-long stay at the Blue Oak Nature Reserve in California, where I worked on ecological projects. The beauty of the ranch was captivating, and as a nature lover, I truly cherished my time spent alone. The highlight of my stay was befriending…

  • Exercise: Imagine

    While this isn’t poetry, let’s consider it a small exercise. Imagine you have the power to choose your feelings every day. What options would you select? Happiness or sadness Flowers or weedsPossibilities or adversitiesPlenty or scarcityLove or hateGreen or grayPeace or conflictBeginning or end Your choices shape your reality. If you’re having a tough day,…

  • Abqs Chill Weather

    I’ve noticed that the sunlight often plays hide-and-seek, like a game of “Now you see me…” I appreciate the unpredictability of the weather here. Sometimes, I see bright sunshine out the window, so I wear a short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts, only to find it chilly outside. Other times, the day looks gloomy, and I assume…

  • Beauty in Nature

    Welcome to February 2025 Happy New Month, friends! Let’s talk about writing about nature and how it can be a pleasurable experience. Writing is a remarkable and deeply personal experience. I am amazed by our ability to craft beautiful expressions with words. This month, let’s focus on writing about our preferences and sharing our thoughts…

  • Albuquerque’s Blue Clouds

    Floating blue clouds basking in self-esteem, clear skies demonstrating their power of invisibility, and a chilly mountain climate are the norms for me here. Why not enjoy this captivating view while it lasts? I may print these beautiful New Mexico images and sign them as postcards. Like the aircraft passing above, the permanence of my…

  • Santa Fe 2

    The highlands and homes are ancient, surrounded by a uniform hue of brown light. Santa Fe stretches across the valley, showcasing its abundant daylight and beauty. The crisscrossing roads create uneven patterns, while automobiles scuttle through the intersections like cockroaches. The blue, inviting clouds of Santa Fe is unique, awesome, and cherished.

  • Quote: Courage

    Everything you’ve ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear — George Addair

  • Quote: Kings and Kingmakers

    When you become a King or Queen, do not forget those who helped you to the crown — Oke Iroegbu

  • Muse: Sunlight

    Sunrise is like music to my eyesIt is like the mountain climber’s sighThe reflection from the sunlight is goldHer warmth she spreads across the world

  • Òkè

    What’s the story behind your nickname? Òkè is a short version of my name, Okechukwu. Oke in Igbo can mean different things based on the pronunciation. It can mean rat (óké), share (òkè), male (ókē)and boundary (òkè). My full name, Okechukwu, means share from God, where òkè means share and Chukwu means personal god/God.

  • Writing

    Which activities make you lose track of time? Writing is a useful ancient craftThat aroused my passion and museBy teaching me more about myselfIt had reminded me of my cleverness

  • Loyalty

    What quality do you value most in a friend? We have to recognize that there cannot be relationships unless there is commitment, unless there is loyalty, unless there is love, patience, persistence — Cornel West

  • Meditation

    What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like? My morning routine is primarily reflecting on events from the past, a tiny dose of pushups (though not consistent), and practicing gratitude for everything. During the first hours, I usually read uplifting books—motivational or spiritual, to start the day.

  • Breaking Barriers

    You’re writing your autobiography. What’s your opening sentence? This is a true story—of hope and resilience, of dreams, aspirations, and experiences put together. My story aims to restore hope and encouragement in humanity and to emphasize the importance of selflessness and service to others.

  • Fun Things

    List five things you do for fun. I like journaling, reading, watching NatGeoWild and Discovery, playing online games like UNO and traveling.

  • My First Name

    Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc. My first name is Okechukwu, which comes from the southern Nigerian Igbo tribe. It means my portion or share from God! Most Igbo names come from situations and experiences people have encountered. I can expand the name to: Okechukwunyerem!—which means the share I received from…

  • Dream Jobs

    What’s your dream job? I would love to be a writer and, indeed, working towards that. My writing started back in high school. Then, I liked playing with words and wrote poems of love. I’m also interested in becoming a travel blogger. It is a dream to travel around the world, particularly in Africa to…

  • A Good Leader

    What makes a good leader? What makes a good leader is their ability to have empathy and humility. By being humble, they put themselves last but not down. By having empathy, they put themselves in the shoes of others!

  • Weapons

    If you could un-invent something, what would it be? You will agree that weapons have caused more havoc on humankind and the environment. Sadly, even modern ones are being developed by man to destroy fellow man and nature.

  • Lions

    What is your favorite animal? King of the African jungleWith a golden mane, beautifulGuileful, bones, and sinewsRoar from depths of your soulLet terrifying echoes ring through the hills

  • Social Media

    In what ways do you communicate online? Social media made writing and sharing written work easy As a writer in a social media era, I use many apps. Most times, it’s just posting on one app that is connected to many others. For instance, my Jetpack app is connected to X, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Facebook,…

  • Coke with Primates

    Think back on your most memorable road trip. This was an excursion I had with classmates in High School. It’s over a decade now, but the memories are alive. This is the report I wrote but with slight editing. I can see how much my writing voice has changed. Our excursion was to the Songhai…

  • Nuts

    What snack would you eat right now? I love nuts. They are crunchy, healthy, and tasty—not all are tasty. Except for kola nuts and bitter cola, which are chewy and bitter, all others are sweet or buttery. I like cashews, groundnuts, macadamia, and almonds!

  • Leader’s Frontline

    Come up with a crazy business idea. I had an idea some time ago. It wasn’t business anyway, just a random idea. Can we agree to let each warring nation have their presidents fight first before sending in the soldiers? Doing so will save many souls from unnecessary deaths because no leader will want to…

  • My Father’s Book Collections

    Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it? I was fond of my father’s book collections. Most of them I have read several times. The books were kept in the countryside, and each time I went home, I had something to read. The collection included Shakespeare and Oscar…

  • Travel the World

    What is your mission? It has been my dream to travel around the world—to see the sunset in different climes and nations, go up the peaks, sniff the pure air, watch the wildlife, swim with mild stream currents, dance with natives, smile at strangers, write stories of good places and people, dream, fall in love…

  • Don’t Worry, Just Live…

    What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life? We came orderly and will leave randomly I don’t think much about these life philosophies and concepts. I only want to do what makes me, my loved ones, and the people around me happy. At the end of it all, memories are…

  • Dance

    What could you do differently? I wish I could twirl and swirl precisely and rigorously to the beautiful rhythm in my soul. https://app.impact.com/secure/mediapartner/checklist/checklist-instance.ihtml?id=__9XpvYq1Sf0_skQuDpLLuQnDv3NE4u0lO#=_

  • Live and Let Live

    If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say? If I had a freeway billboard, I have these famous words written boldly on it—live and let live! If humans understand how sacred life is, it would be so hard to take one. Unfortunately, we live in a world that has gone crazy, and people…

  • Live in The Present

    Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why? I live in the present moment and try to make the most of it. I’m more productive, joyful, and grateful when I don’t worry about the past or the future. So I can say I’m in-between.

  • Unconditional Love

    What is the greatest gift someone could give you? The greatest gift I ever received was that of unconditional love — Oke Iroegbu It takes enormous courage, sacrifice, and strength to give one’s self to serve others.

  • Overthinking

    What are your biggest challenges? Sometimes I just have to go out of my head and listen to my heart. That is my biggest challenge. Happy New Year everyone! Have a good one!

  • Muse: Love Again

    I want to hold your hands againTo look into your eyes, to say how I feel This is a muse that came to me. Love is beautiful. I dedicate this to all lovers out there.

  • Sunset—Nostalgia

    What makes you feel nostalgic? There’s that feeling of nostalgia when the sun drifts away from the hamlets, sinking, sailing through the clouds like a golden phantom, spherical like a child’s playball. Sometimes when it’s hot we wish away the sun and when it’s cold we wish the sun’s heat could warm our land. It’s…

  • Creative Writing

    How are you creative? I started this blog in 2012; I wasn’t sure what to make of it. However, I knew that I wanted to use it as an avenue to express my thoughts and creativity. Writing poetry and narrative essays also exhibited my creative pursuits and has been instrumental to my academic endeavors. Talking…

  • Friendship

    What relationships have a positive impact on you? Friends are family we chose for ourselves Friendship is illustrated in love, sympathy, kindness, loyalty, generosity, forgiveness, altruism, mutual understanding, compassion, trust, and the ability to be oneself and to express one’s feelings. I have friends who have contributed to my success in life. Many have offered…

  • Character

    Are you a good judge of character? Attitude is everything I don’t think anybody can judge a character perfectly. However, I’m convinced that character is a function of people’s relationships with others and their environment. For instance, a well-raised child knows how to respect others and to be kind to people and their environment. Such…

  • Hopeful

    Tell us one thing you hope people say about you. How times fly! Flowers still grow on the dirt by the roadside. That reminds me of hope. Tree leaves fall, and new ones replace them. Now, that’s greater hope! So, I would love to smell the flowers by the roadside and experience love again. I…

  • Alone Time

    When are you most happy? Although I enjoy hanging out with people who share similar interests and goals, I crave my alone time. Alone time gives me private time to reflect on my actions and life.

  • Long Distance Traveling

    Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc. My first time traveling to America was long and tiring. I will repost a slightly edited first post after I arrive from Frankfurt: Forgive me; I arrived at UC Berkeley from Frankfurt yesterday after sitting on a plane for 13…

  • Teaching

    Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech? I haven’t performed on stage or given a speech in a big setting, but I have presented papers in classrooms, conferences, and seminars. Also, I count teaching as an art and form of performance. There’s an audience and then the teacher who performs the art…

  • Worrying

    What could you do less of? When you worry, you make the problem double One thing I have learned in life is to stop worrying about things I can’t control or change. These things tend to rob us of happiness and living in the moment. We can’t change things like rainfall (the weather) or attitudes…

  • Morning

    Are you more of a night or morning person? It’s hard to say. I can do both but mostly mornings are preferable. If I’m awake at night, I might be working on something serious or an urgent task that came up suddenly. But that rarely happens as I plan to fit everything during the day…

  • Letting Go

    What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? Why? I’m not bitter, but better I have learned to let go of events, situations, people, actions, and things that don’t work for me. Letting go involves forgiving myself and those that hurt me. However, it doesn’t mean that the wrongs are forgotten and that I…