Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Tag: Africa

  • Below—apparently

    They call it sub-Saharan—as if Africa were a submarine,ducking politely beneath elsewhere,periscope up, waiting for permission. Wait. Sub like “less than,”like a footnote that forgot it was a library,like history that somehow happenedbefore it was discovered. I’m thinking out loud. A desert becomes a ruler.A line in the sand gets tenure.Everything south of it is “sub,”as if…

  • Pigeons

    Pigeons A few years ago, I tried to raise a couple of pigeons in Nigeria. I’ll call them elegant and bright birds, and I got them as babies because they fell out of their nests. They were vulnerable, and other birds, rodents, cats, dogs, or even insects could eat them! However, I only had them…

  • Quote: Power is Gentle

    What can people learn from our giants, the peaceful, friendly, playful African elephants? Power is gentle! Now keep that in mind.

  • Indigeneity 101c: Indigenous Knowledge and Ecology

    I invite you to read an article in Romanian (which can be translated into other languages) about the importance of incorporating indigenous practices into our ecological efforts. The article provides examples of environmental initiatives from communities in France, Vanuatu, Nigeria, Kenya, and Chad. How can we sustainably resolve conflicts between humans and wildlife in rural…

  • Diary of a Village Boy: The Leopard Spirit 11 (Tales By Moonlight 1)

    When the moonlight came, the villagers would gather at the Square near Eze’s palace to share stories and tales. Children and even some adults eagerly looked forward to this time. It was a joyful period for the village, as everyone could come together to have fun—playing games, solving riddles, and telling folktales. The first storyteller…

  • Indigeneity 101a: Multiple Ways of Knowing

    In my research, I challenge the misconceptions that indigenous cultures have not contributed to modern knowledge. Different cultures have historically documented their knowledge in diverse ways, including through cultural practices such as music, spoken poetry, and dance performances. Recognizing multiple ways of creating and documenting knowledge can facilitate mutual understanding and acknowledgment, paving the way…

  • There’s a Lion Out there!

    You see, sometimes what we seek is on the other side of fear. There’s a Lion Out there! Once upon a time, there was an announcement in a small village about a beautiful garden outside the village, reputed to have an abundance of all kinds of food and drinks. However, the problem was that the…

  • Congo

    Congo, my dear CongoThe land of many warriors Land of happy womenWho dance and turnTo the beats of drumsAnd to glaring menThe land of goldAnd lush green fieldsOf shrooms, dandelions,And blue horizons boldThe land of many rivers,And great, many lovers,land of the gazelle, leopard,And all graceful dancers The evening is sadSounds of canonRent the air,Bloodthirst,Soldiers,Crying…

  • Cities I like to visit

    What cities do you want to visit? I would love to visit many cities around the world. Excluding, African, American, and Canadian cities, I would love to visit Paris, Edinburgh, Cape Town, Dubai, Delhi, Mexico City, St. Petersburg, Shanghai, Perth, Auckland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brasilia, Riyadh, and Tokyo for a while. These cities have a…

  • Folk Narratives: Bees & Elephants

    Most human-wildlife interactions are violent; one party gets to hurt the other. Hence, we need to negotiate living spaces with our non-human neighbors. The facts are glaring—population growth encouraged human encroachment on wildlife territory. When wildlife intrudes into farmlands for food, they get killed or maimed. We don’t want this. A folk narrative from Kenya…

  • What is The Elephant?

    I will start by retelling this short and famous parable about the Elephant and the Blindmen, adapted from the book The Elephant in the Dark. This parable speaks volumes about misconceptions and how one-sided, unverified, and faulty ideology could spread erroneous claims and beliefs. A group of blind men learned that a strange animal, called…

  • World Poetry Day 2023

    I nearly forgot what today was. It’s a unique day to celebrate the most common form of literature. I wish you all a happy World Poetry Day! I would be sharing some poems soon! Stay tuned.

  • Quotes from the Wild

    Let us believe, then, until some dismal authority forbids us, that elephants meet by the bright Indian moonlight in the ballrooms they clear in the depths of the forest, and dance mammoth quadrilles and reels to the sighing of the wind through the trees and their own trumpeting, shrill and sudden as the Highlander’s hoch!…

  • Moonlight Dance

    Let’s dance under the moonlightListen to the crickets screech outShare those smiles we have learnedBe grateful for a lovely evening tryst

  • Quote on Consciousness

    If you pay attention to nature, you can learn a lot. So be awake, be aware of your environment.

  • Winter Break Memories

    While this post is about my experience during the Winter break, I must thank my friends who made it worthwhile. This break was my first away from … Winter Break Memories

  • Ocean Rhythm

    See the evening tide crash into rocksHear the flying birds call to retreating dayListen to your heartbeat with the rhythm of natureLet yourself soar with the ocean current

  • Quote on Africa: A Whole Story

    Africa is much more than a setting, it’s a sentiment, sensation, symphony, sustenance and everything in-between spirited and spectacular. It’s a whole story, not completely told yet.

  • Podcast!

    I’m looking to start podcasting soon. This has been in my mind for years. I think it’s the right time! Stay tuned for more details.

  • Evening Voices & Hues

    I hear the wind howl through the gapsWhispering, solemnly to the approaching duskI hear your name being sung, by fading rhymeOne hundred bird voices; flying towards sunset Green, and the taste of seasoned vegetablesPurple hues, of flowers and her fragrancesBlack and pink, of waddling pigeons, dressedHuhuhu-ing from the lonely rooftops Orange is sunset, a shade…

  • Africa: Golden Sunrise

    I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy – Ernest Hemingway

  • My Dreamland is Awake

    Waking to vocal birdsThat greets the rising sun,The atmosphere is brightSo are the school kids Daybreak scent from gardensLittle residents crawl and roamThe cold morning breezePlunge from ancient hills Green below, blue above,Gold across the horizonNature colours lovely selfWith happy, life-giving hues Morning reflects on window panesSmells through the opened curtainsAnd nothing sums it allMy…

  • Africa Day 2022

    Every time the sun goes downReminds me of the love I’ve foundAt sunset, sunsetSunset, African sunsetI hear you calling me, so far awaySunset, my African sunsetI feel you reaching outAcross the water — Tommy Page I’m delighted to be part of this year’s Africa Day celebration! Africa is indeed a beautiful and diverse continent that has…

  • Quote About Africa: Drums

    The drums of Africa still beat in my heart — Mary Bethune

  • Quote on Education

    Education is the foundation for human capital and management

  • Quote on Africa

    If I have ever seen magic, it has been in Africa – John Hemingway

  • African Proverb: Closed Mind

    Proverb: Eyes are useless if the mind is blind The eyes see tangible things, but the mind sees much more than that. Ideas are shaped in the mind. After ideas are formed they can now be manifested into real things. Therefore, while eyes are physical, the mind is mental. A mentally blind person can walk…

  • 10 Surprising Facts About Ethiopia

    10 Surprising Facts About Ethiopia🇪🇹 1. There are thirteen months to the year based on their calendar, which means they are in 2013. 2. Ethiopians also measure the hours of a day to a different schedule based on the logic that the clock starts when the day does. 3. Ethiopia is the only African country…

  • Friendship

    There’s always a friend out there for everyone, someone to confide in and share life with. 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. Even Africa’s wild agrees on friendship. Do you agree? ☺️

  • Chose Africa

    Africa!Land of quasa drumNature’s valid essence,The land of palm beer,Of enormous cascades Africa!Land of hills & valleysCourteous clans,A land of milk & honeyFlowing all about Africa!Land of pots & drinksA calabash of hot soupCheerful smiles & winksA merry couples night Africa!Cradle of civilization,Terrific folk & historyMother of all nationsHome to the first man My Africa!Land…

  • Poem: The Brook

    Pollution to the Human Mind I do think that living in large towns for a long time can constitute pollution to the simple human mind. Each time I return to the countryside, I feel a mix of vibrant and enthusiastic energy. Living in dry cities drains me fast. I could try to live in one…

  • I’m on Patreon!

    Hi Friends, I just created my Patreon profile and would appreciate any support you can render to keep this blog going. I’ve included a little note on why I seek help on the ‘About Patreon Page.’ If you want to be a patron, please follow the link below: https://www.patreon.com/oiroegbu. Thank you so much! Yours’ Oke…

  • Video: “Waka Waka – This Time For Africa!”

    “Waka Waka!” Not only is Africa famous for its unique beauty but its rhythm, and music. The continent is indeed a melodious one and everybody and thing contribute to this wonderful harmony. It’s largely in Africa that natural sounds like the ones made by wild animals, waterfalls, wind, or rainfall are incorporated into music. Consider…

  • Africa Day

    The African Union acknowledged today being the 25th of May as Africa Day. Here are some images with important information about Africa.

  • Moonlight

    I behold the nightfall across the dark blue clouds I watch evening carry desires of men waiting to unfold I enjoy the sensation of the imminent weekend Drums of merrymaking sound miles off, Cackling, singing, every bit of mirthful noise However, the shepherd sits to enjoy his time alone I hear deep-voiced frogs calling out…

  • Love Poem: Remember

    Love poems weren’t my thing when I first attempted to write. In high school, my English literature teacher saw my war book manuscript, which I still have today (goodness, I have a way with books), and thought I could better write about love. I wasn’t into love, you know – an introvert, nervous in crowds,…

  • A Grateful African Poem

    Now gather by the fireside While we wait on yams to roast, Drying our hands in the warmth This quiet evening, cold and mild We wait to dream A fluffy pillow beckoning, The day tales also waiting, A joyful evening it seems The sweet fellowship Of Nature’s trick and craft Upon the retreat fell, to…

  • Reflection: A King Without A Crown

    A King Without A Crown I used to take on a noble character whenever it comes to acting among my peers. I remember performing King Nebuchadnezzar in a high school drama class. It was sport hearing my classmates address me as the king. Nebu – the short-lived nickname that followed after wasn’t much fun. Please…

  • Night Poem: Shining Stars

    Joy emerges as the cold evening mist, Love as glowing stars across the firmaments Dressing the night with glittering dots To impress on all pleasant moments

  • Shine Forth

    Let your light shine; the whole of providence is cheering. It’s your day to excel, to exceed, and outshine your past achievements. Arise and Shine! 🌄🌻

  • Africa’s Strongest: The African Dung Beetle

    Prepare to be amazed by what you are about to read. I decided to write about this excellent weightlifting beetle because of the sheer strength it demonstrates. Yeah, the dung beetle feeds off other animal waste, and it’s common to see them roll it across the countryside with such force that one can’t help but…

  • Night Poem: Call

    Ever heard birds call out To the fast-falling night Across the glossy horizon As the setting sun sink? Ever waited for sunset To bring in pots, Take out warm mats And wait for moonlight? Slowly night falls here So ends the noisy day

  • African Proverb: A Smooth Sea…

    A smooth sea does not make a skillful sailor. Background: The proverb is originally from Namibia. Significance: Life is like the sea: sometimes we get a gentle sea. But a peaceful sea never made a great sailor. Parents who always shield their child from challenging situations will, in the end, have an idiot of a…

  • African Proverb: However black a cow is…

    However black a cow is, the milk is always white – Gambian Proverb Background Traditionally, Gambia is an agrarian society. The country which falls in a fertile valley keeps a lot of farm animals, cattle being the predominant livestock. Senegal borders the state, from the north down to the south. Senegambia, a short-lived confederation was…

  • Thought on Compassion

    Always remember that we are considered human when we show kindness to all that Providence placed under our care, and when we love others as we are born compassionate beings.

  • Opinion: A Sitting Time Bomb

    The protesting Nigerian youth is a sitting time bomb. Trying Times I type with trembling hands. These are trying times indeed. This morning I saw a troop of angry protesters march through town demanding end to police brutality. Since its inception last week, the national protests had gained momentum. For days now the Nigerian youth…

  • African Wonders 4: The Pharos of Alexandria

    The Pharos of Alexandria was a lighthouse completed in about 280 BC and was used to warn ships of the rocks surrounding the port of Alexandria, Egypt. The building measured over 110 metres to the top. During the day polished bronzed mirrors reflected the sunlight, and at night a fire burned that could be seen…

  • African Wonders 1: Victoria Falls

    The Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe earns the title of the biggest waterfall in the world. It is 1708 metres across and it drops between 90 and 107 metres into the Zambezi Gorge. An average of 9.2 million litres of water cascades over the edge of the falls every second at peak seasons. Because Victoria Falls…

  • Quote: No Mountain Too Great

    There’s no mountain too great Hear these words and have faith -Diana Ross

  • Hometown by Peniel Gifted

    That magnificent city Built beautifully Its walls painted in great colours Furnished with happy diamonds Its streets with the unceasing glitters. My hometown The city of the two great hills The city where I feel the cool breeze of nativity Beholding the swaying tulips and smiling sun The love of nature, giving me the mild…