Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

A duel inside

Most duels are fought without, Some, more important, in us, What kills is that element of doubt… Let us unravel the journey first! I wait, hoping for a smile from you Its not that hard, if you give it a try, I know you have battled pain, I know your dreams were always high! Let…

February 14, 2016
Power of Love

“1 John 4:18 ESV There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” ******* Now I recall what it all means to me… Love is the croaky sound of the cricket beneath my bed Love is…

February 13, 2016
Just after I wake

I wake to the light shining on my weary face To Heavens airs and my Gods unfailing grace Before now, the window was half open Dark it was then, but for the waking sun My fancy, my imaginations knew no bound For even in my reverie, my wits stay around Crickets which stay in hidden…

February 13, 2016
My Musing: February 11

Aha, my mind seems to laugh at me… But I cared so little for what it thinks I say to it, “there are more to life than you see” And for the world I say, “follow the sun as it sinks” For a shepherd, I am a stranger and sojourner …Travelling to a land far,…

February 11, 2016
The last night dance

The nights are quiet and calm The smell of the rose picked in the morning Comes mildly as the serene air filter in Curtains dance like the naked light of the candle Like you, my dear as the night you danced Raising your hands to your beautiful black hair Looking through the raised arms to…

February 11, 2016
When the wind stops

The tent-peg shake angrily in the wind On the sandy soil it looses its strength while the clouds are dark with the storm The mighty wind takes her toil upon the hamlet Dried leaves and sticks fly in circles Dancing to the tune of the angry wind The roofs upon the towns houses Creak and…

February 11, 2016
Haiku: Farewell

Memories and tales will be told Hopes and dreams, in shield And all will pass into legend If our paths ever pass again

February 6, 2016
The Tale of a Shepherd

When it is time to leave the hamlet To leave the vales and the thornful paths To seek fresh and sweet grasses For the little bleating lamb and sheep The shepherd wakes from his slumber The roads are rocky and mountainous Filled with stubborn stones and quarry The mistletoe grow on the roadside But the…

February 6, 2016
A Tale of the Wildwoods 3: Summer arrives

And when the beautiful summer happened to come… Upon the glades and vales of the wildwoods The Mountain stood quietly by the forest side Sniffing the sweet smell come from fresh growing flower shrubs The happy birds come flying back home Followed by all pretty insects and the boar herd The skies are tinted with…

February 4, 2016
The Golden Savannah

Have you seen the African golden Savannah? Come drive through dried brown grassland Come bake in the heat of the sun Come taste the corn beer, cooked by the locals Come ride the horse through the wildlands Come draw your name on the tropics beaches Come and see… The stray serpent, the Python or the…

February 4, 2016
Musing: Baby Chicken

The days hours go fast The sun makes all lazy Then came two strange looking birds Straying away from the hen brood To come sit beside me Ignoring their mother hens calls Funny birds! But they were all sitting beside me Listening to the airy wind And the sounds coming from trees Maybe they thought…

February 3, 2016
Little seed

Small seed, a poor prize Which I carried along all this while In my forgotten pocket and in my heart I am going to plant it someday though And watch it grow from my window And everytime I wake in the morning I shall look to it as the sun rises From my old rusty…

January 30, 2016
Freedom

When the creepy hands of darkness departs Then comes a flush of renewed energy *** Do you feel the sweet and virgin morning airs, fresh? Do you love the warmth that comes with the rising sun? The mornings signify a new life Never tie yesterday to this new life But stay awake to the worlds…

January 30, 2016
Beautiful Dreams from Heaven

When Dreams come to one Grip them with all you have got The dews of Heaven bring them The smiles of infants in the morning A very cold winter blowing in might And twittering of birds by your window The falling red tree leaves in a park And the blossoming of the golden wheat The…

January 28, 2016
Silhouettes and Fear

What lurks in the darkness and nights Waiting to jump on ones neck When no light come from the stars? What bears a fur and Sabre tooth And follow the silhoutte of preys Even as one walk in the lonely park? What stands in a dark tree plantation Running its ferocious claws on tree barks…

January 28, 2016
The days toil

Now my eyes close before Thee Grant me sweet night airs and peace Let my slumber be quiet and undisturbed For the long days toil made had me tired Let Thy eyes move before me each day To guide and show me the right way When the moon and stars leave the night Always let…

January 27, 2016
Beautiful days stay unseen

When the dark clouds come upon the clan All grow dim, sobre and quiet The stars are hidden from sight But the dark cloak holds all down The stars, the hopes and good dreams The fireflies cast a minute light On the stormy and windy night The clouds bear a weird apparition Confused at his…

January 25, 2016
The Desert city

The church bell chimes quietly in the city But this little town is left to Pity’s mercy The only noise heard was the airs whine Upon the obscure paintings as the only signs Old dirty newspapers fly about Passing telegrams to misty ghosts Swerving from one side of the road to another Times decaying touch…

January 23, 2016
Wake me up

Wake me up With your tears Of love and care Let my consciousness comfort you Wake me up To plough the fields To gather wheats And see your smiles Wake me up Even when I’m strengthless To feel the airs Come from the mountain Wake me up Draw back the curtains Let the Golden Sun…

January 22, 2016
Musing: Crickets

Crickets are my best insects But why? I know not They stay under my bed And cry out till I have an ache up my head But what they say also I know not Though I think they talk about broth Wonder why little insects Grow even beer intent They growl, some bark And all…

January 21, 2016
A New Day

The morning sun brings joy Now that the dark has gone And the clan is wide awake To begin the days routine The clouds are bright For the new day has come Birds fly away over the hills The forest trees drift about The mists are sucked off As the heat of the Sun shine…

January 21, 2016
Ferns

See how you dance by the river banks Throwing your green hands up And swerving to and fro to the airs rhythm With the suns warmth you waltz Nodding to the chattering of your pals When a strong wind comes you wave Faltering and bowing to the winds grace Enjoying yet the rough caressing of…

January 19, 2016
Come this thunder, 1967

Come this thunder When the nights glitter with explosions The resemblance of fire-cracker carnivals And as the rattling for supremacy Is heard from heartless machine guns Spewing the seeds of destruction Upon unfortunate children and men ‘Kwaa-pu kwaa-pu kwaa-pu, unu dum!’ ‘Leave here,’ the emissaries of death say Flying limbs, headless bodies and chaos Destruction…

January 19, 2016
Two Poems of Oke’ Iroegbu, The Apple and The Summer

The Apple blossom and turn red Before now the Pines tell her ‘You are not what we think you are’ For then she was green and young And when the wind blew around The forest side, she swerved about Like a tree leave upon a branch ‘I will blossom some day, you know’ She would…

January 18, 2016
The Waterside

…by the Waterside See the waters queer like a green tea Flowing quietly in the dry season The haste of waters upon the rocks As the tides airs treat the trees And all lively nature around it Even in the quietness of the stream A sort of hush and joyful sigh is heard A soft…

January 18, 2016
A beautiful morning

It is a beautiful morning With the Golden sun rising And my slumberness, waking This Light comes new to me A perfect start for a day to be Your Love Jehovah comes to me For You are this pretty Light I see From behind the light curtains The sweet blessed airs flow in They come…

January 16, 2016
The Crow and The Rabbit

A Crow was sitting on a tree Doing nothing all day. A small Rabbit saw the crow, And askd 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…

January 14, 2016
Crystals of Water

I hear your swift surge Like the snaky locomotive Cockcroaching thro tunnels And sighing along the way See the waters clear as the sweet spring; Leaping crystals surge forward in haste The waters run in joy to other lands Feeding the shorelines all this while Pulling along the stray crab and the torn ferns And…

January 13, 2016
The Lone Wolf

Slowly tis moon surge-by Two shades join in harmony As the door sides creak Allowin’ the cold airs To filter in calmly Blind winds blow boldly Dogs bark and whine And the pines call Fear knows not himself Yet a dark cloak Sweeps fast across the lane Creepy and with leaps Takes cover behind the…

January 11, 2016
To Love…

I am writing to you Cos of the pain in my heart The distance we created For nothing sake But I am pained Though you see it not Love hurts a lot But it has its worth But remember… I will be pleased Only when I see you smile Only when I see your grin…

January 10, 2016
Musing

The dusts wane Clouds are free of them Birds ski up the sky And people return home A fresh start to begin And that is just lifes swing

January 10, 2016
A Lovers Tale

I remember when you left for the city, walking lean and tall When at the hilltop you turned to wave me the last goodbye I remember the tears of the little ones as they try to hold you back When as you walk away, facing the suns light as she grew dimmer I remember your…

January 4, 2016
Quiet nights

Quiet nights can be romantic And when one- a poet is alone Words of reason come to him But stray night flies sing about And the crickets quiz themselves Proposing numerous theories Asking questions and reminding One another of the quiet day To them the nights should be noisy It should be one of merriment…

January 4, 2016
The Rising Sun

The sun rise up the clouds Quietly she wakes from her slumber She sucks up the mists on rooftops And on the branches of trees And she paints our land gold Bringing warmth as she ascend Revealing the wild places of the forest And throwing her light upon the rivulet So the waters shimmer brightly…

January 4, 2016
The Rat and the Bat

A rat made friends with a bat And they always fed together But then the bat was jealous of the rat When the bat cooked the food It was always very good And the bush rat will always ask “How is it that when you make soup It is so tasty?” The bat will always…

January 3, 2016
Masquerades

Strings of flax fall from your stress Hides carved from animal skin And strange cloth embellish you You swerve around like a drunk Scaring children and younger folk Caring for nothing but for asunder The masks on you remind of the hyena Your whip dragging behind you as you walk As you seek peoples’ doors…

January 3, 2016
Musing: Chinyere Duroha

I heard you fought near Libya And other parts of North Africa The stories told of your bravery And as I watch your old pictures As you pose with a rifle in the front I wonder, I ponder Will I ever grow your courage? I was told about your exploits About how you beat up…

January 2, 2016
Start new, 2016

Seeing this fresh new year Reminds of how dear We are to God, Almighty From the jungles of East Africa To the snowy lands of Canada Arise, be blessed, be lifted! From the sands of Arabia To the icy terrains of Russia Let joy be-filled in your dealings And from the cold nights to come…

January 1, 2016
A Muse: Arise, my Sunshine

Goodmorning my sunshine Should I let the curtains open To let the suns warmth reach us? See the sun rise fast above the clouds From the silhouettes of caves she rises Showing herself in between two cliffs Painting the grey land gold; There is smell of burning grass Come from farms awaiting the suns heat…

December 29, 2015
The rivulet, Oko’pia

You stay far away And you beckon to us From the quiet hamlets, we hear you call Messages passing through the forest rumbling stomach To the white clouds garnished by the sunshine And the tree pathways, leading to you We sit on your banks, telling stories of the wild You let the trees surrounding us…

December 29, 2015
The Butterfly

There was this little yellow butterfly Fluffy, gracious and hovering all about me She seemed to be searching for my legs Though shy she seemed, she kept flight And at a point she came down to the floor Flapping her little wings calm but swift I watched her, trying to understand her gesture With my…

December 28, 2015
Choosing a school

Choosing a school can be hectic and stressful. Most times, selections are made wrongly by prospective candidates. Some make choices based on family influences or peer pressure, the fact is your the one who is going to school, not your parents or friends. It is important to make proper investigation on a school you would…

December 28, 2015
Take me there

Take me to a place where the sun shines Where flowers blossom in the summertime And the yellow wheat fields stay in quietness Even as bees and beetles buzz about the trees And butterflies hover about in sweet abandon Take me to a place where the airs are mild In the mornings after a stormy…

December 27, 2015
Your Smiles

Your smiles are awesome They make me speechless And when the day is spent Upon my face, the stress With your smiles and scent Thoughts of you are heart warming You are sweet and hug deserving

December 27, 2015
A Psalm : Hide me in Your Shadow

Hide me in your Shadow Lord Let me be invincible to the worlds strife In the vales were dry bones lay And up hill were the skies touch the Earth Let me stand blameless before You I have fallen for I am just human Weak, frail and vain, but You perfects all this Now I…

December 26, 2015
Hold my hands

Hold my hands Let’s take this stroll together Let’s grow older together Your smiles light my world I am lost to endless wonder Hold my hands Let’s take this walk together Let’s smile at each other Let’s walk beneath the tree shed In a dry and airy evening of December Hold my hands Let’s forget…

December 25, 2015
Christmas

How happy the day ended And now the stars glitter in the night With laughters of joy resounding about While up the hills, the grass burn How joyful the hugs and smiles are From loved ones and friends And the entire acquiantance made As celebrations and festivities abound Now the birth of our Lord, Christ…

December 25, 2015
Festive Season

In the mornings and evening And as the sun rises each day Comes the joy of the festive season On the roadsides the dry grasses lay Waiting to be gathered and burned So the flames can dance happily To meet the sky, his sweet bride And the fest ends as the soot falls solemnly But…

December 22, 2015
Yehobhah, God of Invincibility

Oh Lord of all life The one with the power of invincibility He who made the Universe and all in it With mere words of mouth The pillars of the Earth stand erected! He rides the thunder storm in the dark And like the passing of grey clouds The Sun rises on His command The…

December 21, 2015
Aba, The Enyimba City

See the roofs on houses, dust cladded And the palm trees stuck to the ground Like a majestic knight standing guard The streets wind up the road Ogbor sits on a hill up the vale The ancient city and fortress Once on the river flowing fast Washing strange mens nakedness The harmattan brings dusts upon…

December 21, 2015