Tag: musing

The Bee and The Bloom

A bumblebee buzzed with bumbling grace,Zipping and dipping all over the place.It spotted a flower, so red and sweet,And said, “Well hello there—my sugary treat!” It wiggled and jiggled and landed just right,Its belly fuzzy, with stripes shining bright.Then whispered, “Dear flower, don’t mind if I stay,I’m just here for nectar… and maybe to play.”

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Musing:  The Railroad 

Iron metal Crisscrossing  Dragging through the dust Like the snake, iron snake.  Tracks lay ahead as far as our eyes go,  Crawling through the urban and rural;  The countryside with her quiet forest  The township with her hustle bustle  The clouds are free of you They watch your snake lanes Cockroach through rocks and tunnels… Continue reading Musing:  The Railroad 

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When there was love

When there was love, I saw the cloud Clear as crystal, like the sweet spring Leaping in joyful haste to other lands,  Oh happy water, hissing away, joyfully Tumbling off rocks, falling from heights * Now I sit musing over the fast flowing stream Two things wont ever come back, water and time! 

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Musing: The Ostrich

1 To you my feathery friend, I write In the greying fields, your fur I sight Dangling by your sides are your wings Your neck is up, for a long time you sing 2 Caw caw, caw caw those are your favorite words The wind is your friend, the soil is your playground The shrub… Continue reading Musing: The Ostrich

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The Rainbow, 1st

1 The rainbow is my favorite color  Her beauty radiates upon the cloud Dressed like a man wearing a talisman Savoring the scent of the sweet airs,  A mirage because the rain won’t fall after all 2 There sits the rainbow across the firmaments Watching quietly, observing the rules of the airs Belittling the heights of… Continue reading The Rainbow, 1st

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Yells, cries of children disturb the nights silence
In the moonlight they dance, they play in the distance

Casting shadows upon the lonely tree’d pathway
Tumbling on sands, caring not for neither man nor scorpion
They make figures, people and tall castles of clay
Happily they yell, desiring nothing under the queer moon

Meanwhile the wind blow, the mosquitoes flee
Wild trees swerve like a mad reggae dancer
Children noises mix with the dancing windy trees
As the young night went black and darker

A muse: The Thunder and her nephew

When the thunder storm descends The clouds rumble with a quake, For the Earth and her companions She cuts up a powerful link Letting her much younger nephew Take a solid images of the quiet world Every other force goes on pause, on mute While the two siblings enjoy their ride Through the Earth, through… Continue reading A muse: The Thunder and her nephew

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Lions could be cute and cuddly,
But only without their teeth and claws!

They prowl the thick vegetations of Africa
And plains of South Asia…
With their manes as crowns
They rule the African jungle
They roar from afar…
And all tenants of the wild;
Deer, Elephant, Boar, Zebra
Wake to listen!

In the night, they set all ablaze
With eyes blood-shot
And paws ready to pounce
On any stray person…
They rule with clench fists
Crushing every opposition
Tearing opponents, flesh bones
And blood…

Commentary:
I always loved this cat, and thought of having to tame one as a pet. Are they not cute? Maybe not, when they are hungry. August 10th happen to be the Worlds Lion Day, so join me celebrate this exotic creatures of God.

I watch the sun shine thru my window
Throwing me a familiar wink
And painting the curtain gold
Thru the city streets the lights glow
Like the color of brew which men drink
On all faces it shone, young and old

Day breaks again in the city
My heart long for something else
My dreams point to my calling;
A wheat farm and its serenity,
A pride of Lions in their lairs
Queer birds of Africa wailing

My heart is giving to the wild
I loath the noises of the city
The hustle bustle of strange people.
The twittering of birds are mild
It defined the inspiration in me
I am part of Nature, a true example

Africa is a wonder, a haven
I am given to Gods beautiful creations
My friends are what Nature offer:
Tridax, Drumstick, Marigold, Kenya, Bean
The Leopard, Hippo, Gazelle, Zambia, Lion
Waterfalls, hills, safari, ponds, all that are to wonder

Nothing compareS to this dream,
Let’s go find another land
Let’s go see what the Lord has for us!
The morning is handsomely warm
And the sun is scanning the land
A good day to ride, if I had a horse!

And someday soon, I’ll be there

Tap tap tap tap…
The first drops fall,
Look up, and see a battalion
Rushing down in haste
Scattering in multitudes,
Causing ‘chaos’ to the city
Splashing happily, joyfully
Upon all who dare stand before it

The night rains are nice
When they come with the wind-
With a very strong wind
It made my curtains dance mad,
Throwing up stray papers
And wooing my candlelight
Which drew a shadow on the wall…

Light are the rains upon the roof
Falling like a thousand little drumbeats
Smacking away, thoroughly the roofpans
Drawing nearer the sweet echos of sleep
Throwing rain drops on my window glass
And training the fatigued to acts of slumber

Like the Qasaqasa drums their beats fall
The rooftops tremble with those touches
Millions of them, hitting the roof tops
I am left to greatly wonder
Why the Rains drums are milder
The Winds feel on the skin softer,
Even as the raindrops fall and scatter
And throwing into our pots clean water
Straight from Heavens store house!

July

Here comes a month… Fresh and blessed With even a strike of rainfall And the golden face of the Sun Which delight, I call my imagination The night will be as usual… Full of cricket shrieks And the love I always knew   I wish you a beautiful July A happy new month to all… Continue reading July

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::The Stars::
We wait under the old mango tree
Counting the glittering stars
And lying on the sandy soil
To get a better glimpse of the skies
The Wind is our guest,
She mocks the rendezvous
She whispers the tunes of Nature
And drag tree leaves with it
An evening of quietness
A moment to let thoughts wander
And travel with amazing time,
When the night draw nearer
Then the stars come to glitter

::June::
This month heralds greatness
A month of green and rain
Where tree leaves fall in circles
Dancing to meet the earth,
And when they drop finally
They settle to a new life…
June, supposes a banquet of rain
It feeds the cattle with fresh grass
And men with hope and plenty joy
The fields of corn ripen in the sun
Changing from green to golden
The smell of rain upon the clay
Define mechanisms unseen anywhere!

::Thankful::
Now nothing compares to a life,
Grateful and full of appreciation
Never mince words, say it
Never assume things, pray it
I am thankful to you reader…
I am thankful to all helpers
I am thankful for poetry and Nature
I am thankful to myself, Oke’ Iroegbu
I am thankful for the mind and pen
I am thankful for this sweet inspiration
To be or not to be,
Without or within
I am thankful dear Lord Jesus Christ

When the sun fails to wake,
The day grows so cold and gloomy
The Dew cast her spell on the day
From the hilltops, vales and lakes
To the countryside which is woody,
And the ponds where the ducks lay
There is no ‘life’ in the sad day

By the riverside, the wind blast
Throwing the trees into a wild frenzy
The leaves fall into the flowing rivers
As the white waters rush in haste
To lands where very few can see
If the morning sun fails to rise even higher
Should it be an excuse not to work harder?

Now if the sun fails to rise
We grow weak with the waking day
And all surge of energy for work
Disappears from even the hardworker,
We excuse ourselves with the days rain
And call the heavy storms bad names
But if the sun never woke from her slumber
Should we join her in her temporary sleep?

Let a cloudy day come and rain fall
But don’t let your spirits be dampened
It is never too late to start

PROLOGUE
Give me some rain,
Take away the present situation
Let the wind bid me warn again
Give me rain, dear Heaven!

(1.)
Let if flood the browned farmlands
Let it refresh the waters of the ponds
And the hards rocks upon the dry Earth
Let the hamlet be full of the wet clay salt

(2.)
The Heavens will rumble
I summon the East winds
I knee before the passing clouds
I hear the aves call out loud

(3.)
I summon thee Wind from afar
And She quietly comes binding alas
It throws the heavy mighty doors ajar
And what a rain that must fall, aa-hah!

(4.)
The clear clouds are darkened
The firmaments are blackened
There is a powerful surge of wind,
To the East where it always stayed

(5.)
On such evenings when all is weak and wiery
When the rain falls on this hamlet, hurriedly
My long candle lights become crimson with fury
As my light-grey curtains dance in sheer frenzy

EPILOGUE
So right now I am standing,
I stand beneath the falling rains
I chose to, for it is my special calling
And I thank Heaven for this blessing!

The light has come upon my eyes
Birds twitter behind the windows glass
Beautiful sunrise across the horizon
The skies are gold, so is the land

Voices of people are drawn to me
What a marvelous day it will be!
The big sleepy town wakes very slowly
Man, woman, child, pets, trees, Lilies

I see wonderfully, I am conscious
Wake to the Lords abundant grace
I am alive today, the Lords blessed day
One in a bright and sunny month of May

(1)
Is it not a great night to write?
What beats our lovely imagination
When stars fall with colors bright
Or as a ninja-faced Soy bean sprout?

(2)
The nights are like firecrackers
Blossoming into beautiful stars
When they hit the soft sky
Shedding light shots of hues
They remind a tired shepherd
Of the days walk with the sheep
And when the cold night comes
Before he sets his head upon a pillow
He shoves some words on paper
Making poetry of his wandering
Counting green trees he passed by
The mistletoes, the Teak and the Sycamore
The little mysteries of the woods and her lores
And when he does lay to a quiet sleep
Letting his mouth be on a Coconut sip
Smiling to the dreams which he held back
As all grow dim and the night become dark

Feathers flapping
Sitting on my arms
With their young claws
Not to let go
Not to fall down
Man and dove
Care and love
When I hold you two up with care
You stare into my eyes with curiosity
What a dark world
Your fine eyeballs
Seem to say,
Roving around my place
On my arms you two perched
Trying to get a balance
Whenever I walked off
Even afraid to fly off
From my own very arms!
Uncertainty, but not to worry
For to your mom you must return

Commentary:
Okay! I happened on these two baby doves three days ago. Their mother flew off, and in their attempt to follow fell on the floor. So I couldnt leave them out there. It was getting late and cats and other wilder birds could attack them. I took them in for the night, made a cosy bed for them and in the morning they were the first to wake. After my chores, I returned them were I got them. I also noticed doves cooing in the location, so my assumption was the mother was out looking for them with their kith and kin. How adorable! When I checked back much later I saw their mom with the babies on the rooftop. Doves are such lovely birds with nice hearts.

You’re the lover of my life
my other half
Since you came my way
I have beautiful days
I am so in love with you
I am not ashamed to

I am awoken to the sound
Of the lovely morning birds
Twittering behind the green tree
And the buzzing of the Bumblebee

The sun rises quietly
Her rays shine brightly
The clouds are blue
Painted by a fine hue

All about the bright skyline
The scouting hawks and doves whine
And under a trees shelter
All things are left to glitter

To the outside; the sunny firmaments
We take our washed and wet garments
As numerous birds sing
Flapping their colorful wings

Then this big town wakes
The chimneys that bakes
The tailors, the brewer
The farmer and the tanner

The nights may be dull…
But there are fresh morning airs
That this beautiful morning shares
It grows with the comely light
Letting all feel the suns’ warmth
As she rise from behind the cloud
Painting the land, bright and gold

The airs are for all;
The sun flower with its bright colors
And the steam boat with sailors,
Cruising across the deep blue sea
And the farmers on green rice paddies
Looking up now and then, to stretch
With their dark grey fanciful straw hat

And it comes upon all…
Fridays dawn with sweet smiles
With happiness and hopeful sighs,
Relieves and joyful moments
Saved from the stressful torment
Of work done during the past days
And we all say, “thank God its Friday!”

Cold nights come sometimes
It brings to me memories
Which I thought I lost on the way
Nevertheless, I see who I become
From what I was many moments ago

Cold nights remind me of…
A tender boy I was
And when I cried for most things
It reminds me of when I was caring
And lost count of my self-care
When the days I write for love
But never was loved in return

But right now…
Things changed
I am no more a boy
I am no more a child
I think, I act
I dream, I believe
I hold my feelings
I hold my thoughts
I am now carefree
I am a man

But I still love
For if I loved once
I always will do…

For God has made it so
And thus, this part of me
I shall never let go

(i.) The Moon
The Moon is following me
And with her light I see
Wherever I walk she stalks
Behind my shadow she follows
And how she sweeps the land
Looking for me in the quiet clan

(ii.) Village Square
The nights dancing festival
Brings all, big and small
The farmer, the wine tapper
The cobbler and the dancer
A night of skewered meat
And one, were lovers meet

(iii.) The candle
See how her pretty light flickers
Throwing the light on my papers
Like a tongue of fire
She seeks to be admired
For even the wind has come
To rest and get some warm

(iv.) The dancer
The drums beat hard
And she strod forward
Swerving about like a mad maiden
In a big and crowded man-full den
Dancing to the cat-calls, the desires, the drunk men
And for all that cared to come watch her or listen

Oke’ Iroegbu

1.
I love to stare into your eyes
To let you know how special you are

I heave a sigh of relieve
Each time, tears of grieve
Dry from your pretty face

Never let go of sweet memories
Make them stay in your bossom
Enjoy all blossoming Summers
And the ice-cold Winters
But never let it fade away
Our moments, golden and sweet
Like the fast current of the spring
Leaping in joyful bounds;
Bouncing crystals of water
Rejoicing with their flowy brethren
Down to the end, where the waters fall

I see the glitter on your face
When the sun shine upon it
The stars light the dark clouds
You count the brighter ones first;
And the weak ones follow
When it rains and shines
It is a blessing, you are a blessing

2.
You are my addiction
You are my God sent
You are my little song
Which sings in my heart

You play my hearts harps
You drown me in your love
The walls have ears indeed
They listen to our own tale
Your breath falls on me like
The sounds of the waterfalls

Gracefully you stride like the Cheetah
My eyes haven’t beheld anything better
And what more do I desire
But you that I lovely admire?

Once in a quiet sunny forest
The cruel Sun starved the Earth
And her little furry inhabitants
Of drinking water and comfort

The Owls & Wolves yawn in hunger
No one was able to decipher
Why the Sun brought her asunder
As all was thirsty for water

The forests dwellers hatched a plan
One of travelling to the village of men
Across hills & valleys thru strange land
And numerous tribes, peoples and clans

Such was the painful and heavy strife
For the bigger animals couldn’t thrive
The little animals ran for their dear lifes
From both the bigger animals and the Suns strafe

Glittering stars.
The night is alive
Airs of the day
Fireflies of the night
The grey moon;
For all had gathered
And to see this love
They have come

Waters rush in haste
Upon the little tide
Of the Stream
And her waterfalls
Sweet spring!
Pulling the stubborn fern
And the stray crabs

The cymbals clash
As drumsticks beat
The leather of the drum
The trumpets sound
Crickets of the wild
The silence of the heart
And the quietness of peace

Such was me
Such I longed to be,
Such was my love
Such was my passion
Such was a moment
Ever perceived as magic
Which must not last
For a thousand years
And such must be life
Nevertheless.

But I know…
Even as the beats go slowly
Yet my fine songs still sing
And to the night…
Were my memories clash
A fond goodbye I say

We are riding behind the snail cart
And now, we can see the wide world
Truely. As she is and not what it seem
With this speed my nation can see
All we had left behind and forgotten
All that slowed us and our speed bumps

Ah! We seem not to enjoy the ride anymore
Where are the gears and the grease sponges,
Where are the wheels and the extra tires?
The cart might never break though
But we can’t feel our legs
We can’t feel this slow ride

“I compare you to this month
Blessed April with blue eyes
Clear as the benevolent Cloud
Full of perfect but right actions
And a loving stormy mouth
Which glow in the quiet night
And with your imaginary wand
You stray thru my mind like an illusion”

I wrote a poem
But I forgot your name
I sang a song
But I can’t recall the tune
I want to draw a Palm tree
But there is none here to see

I want to paint a lady Monalisa
And smell the sweet Lavender
…to run the hills
And strengthen my will
…to see the Masai
And make them my war allies
…to frighten the Lions’ and Hyenas’
And run heartily across the Savannah

I want to dance with you
Somewhere, just me and you
I want to dream of you
And say all I desire anew

Nothing compares to the sweet sleep
Of all good and hardworking shepherds
He retires with a fine and adorable smile
And to his bed of wool, he lays
Tuning into the local radio station
To listen to some old folk songs
Nodding almost silently to the rhythm
Smiling to the memories of the stressful day
And the little Lavender he found on the way

The night is quiet, warm and cosy
The moon is wearing a cute smiley
But to his lonely blanket he clings
As the duckling will to the Hens wings
And the air about is moist and fresh
This is his own warm and perfect nest
Thanks to the open wooden window
The light in the room is very low
And there is enough breeze to go around
Even the noisy brown crickets are ignored
The screeching of all strange insects-
The nomads of the quiet nights
Rent the air, disturbing companions
But the lonely Shepherd slept on
And soon a beautiful dream
One of fantasy; milk, honey a-swimming
Shall dawn upon his big and weary head
And so, in such times he laughs out aloud!

“When I retire after each days work is done
I don’t tell people my experiences though
But I have them, do I look like someone
Who is bothered? You would never know…”

Once I happened upon a man
Bearded. Long. Tall and bendy
At first, methought he lost his mind
But when he called out to my attention
I became curious and went closer
On my approach, he said comically
“You’re juth in time for a little thnack!
Do you care for some tweet, tweet nut”
Well, I was never to lose my cool easily
But now, it seemed I want to kick him
Or swing my fist, a whooping 360 degrees
Around his smiling goofy face… Sigh
He saw my apparition, so indifferent
He smiled and offered some boiled nuts
“No thanks” I refused his generosity
Hmmm, more than enough I bargained
“I have more where that came from”
He was now prodding farther
“And here comes twouble again” I said
To my own very hearing alone
“Would you like to have deenner instead!”
“You bawely know me sir,” I began
“Why do you offer me your food…?”

“Tinterely, I tit down here all day
Watching as people come and go
Like the windt come from the Touth
I travel to a far away country
But upon this road I came to revive
My legt and grab tome thnack!”
I nodded when he kept silent, waiting
“Now, do you know how I became
A tired and tore-footed wanderer?
I am trying to run away from
What people talk about me
But each day I run from town to town
I tee none of my troublers, but
They live quietly in mind, they do!
And to think you can ever get rid
Of what people talk about you is vain
You have to work on your mind
Condition it. Program it. Live it
Now my wandering hat brought me here
But nothing hat changed in my mind
Do not be like me, never run away…”
And so saying he raised his right hand up
So I could help him up. Pity
I thought about myself as I walked away

“And don’t let people influence
Your world with their wordt” he added
I had some understanding now
I knew for sure, knowledge could be found
Somewhere, anywhere; if you can just look

March bears the Winter on her back
And with one more nod to say bye
She takes her leave to the Earths’ borders

With this time of the heated sun
It is even time to introduce some
New flavors and dishes on the table

The sun rise and the rain falls
Brown earth stays everwhere
The greens love this amazing weather

The wild is left to her romance
Mother Nature washes her garments
On the waterfalls and sings aloud

From the window sides
The beauty of the clouds are seen
Hills curve in strange caricatures
Pretty birds sing from hideouts

The gardens bloom with live
Ants scramble about, flies, wasps
The sun shines above the trees
But in the shades Comfort dwells

The mornings burn with sweet desire
Nothing compares to Gods love come to man
Not even, the sweet scent of wheat fields
Or the sweet taste of fresh honeycombs

April is the month of food and fruits
Apples, Cherries, Jackfruits, Guavas, Berries,
Pawpaws, Oranges, Carrots and Soursops!
Fresh, yellow, round, red, blushing, ripened!

Can I call you my engine or engineer
You steer my desires like the wheel
You play the strings of my heart like the guitar
You sink my sorrows like the submarine
And make my heart skip beats always
I race forward like the locomotive
Up the hills, with force and might
You train my courage,
“Hope is a waking dream”

You fan my face with graceful limbs
And with your sweet perfumed papers
My dreams are your utmost desires
You pray for my own good
You call me a special friend
Nothing compares to your memories
Nothing can come in between us
Smack my hands when you act the turkey
I’m glad your even someone funny

My smiles come from thoughts of you
There is no peace in me, if your face I can’t see
And now I recall your adorable words
“Just be good and do what you should”

“I will love you even when the tree leaves fall
In the winters cold and summers heat
I will love you even when the days are gone
And when the nights grow even darkest”

I submit to you
All I have and own
I am your servant
But I am your lover

The nights must come
But we have each other
And we shall make the fire burn
The flowers we tend together

You tell me tales
I tell you mine too
But my tales are longer
You fall asleep before my last

Now what do you see in my eyes
When you stare in them?
You sweetly called it love right?
But you see yourself in my eyes

The morning is airy
We stand at the curtainside
But my arms are hairy
And it does tickle you

What if I told you something
That I care about your happiness
And that each time you smile
My heart rejoices in a joyful bliss

Look upon me now am young
Remember this grey-colored eyes
Remember also my elfy ears
Do not forget for I shall ask much later

And when my poetry muse
You shall always be my theme
What more happiness can I thank God for
But for you, my amazing friend and lover?

Greater love has no one than this, that
someone lay down his life for his friends…
John 15.13
WorldEnglishBible

Easter signifies love and care
The festivities rent the airs
And now we all love and share
For Christ came and died for man
Bringing mercies unknown to men
From Divine stores, made in Heaven
To blessed Earthly Providence
Soft airs and vegetable forests
To exotic wildlife and rivulets

Happy Easter celebrations everyone… Show some love and care. God bless you

Wander-man, Tiger-man moves; sipping from different fountains overflowing with milk of life and death

He hops;
From Jagua Nana to
Annan Wanger
Never satisfied with his own wife and life
Hannah
Who
Kisses empty sheets
Droops and sags in
Jeans
Eating Bullshit

Wander-man, Bat-man
Fly!
While Hannah cries
High five!
Wine!
While Hannah dies
You tell her lies to cover up your crimes

Why?

Away with it wander-heart!
Retire so your palm won’t catch fire.

Obiajulu Nwodo is a versifier and a short story writer. Some of her works has been published in different platforms. She has some unpublished works to her credit and she is a good friend of mine.

Once I met a painter
A fine and petit young man
At the corner of the street he lived
Working away, minding his business
And living so solitary, that I wondered

“Hallo sir! What do you really paint?”
I must have sounded sheepish
For who won’t call a pen, a writer
When you know the pen writes?
“I paint ALL things! I paint you
I paint all you feel and care for”
He answered, hiding his resentment
Or yet, perhaps he didn’t get my jeer
I shuddered, strange it sounded
“My feelings and cares, hmm” I grunted
“But now I am carefree, how can you paint that?”
He looked at me, abandoned my talk
And turned the board he was working on
A magnificient picture stood before me
Some hues of blue, suggesting the skies
A tint of greens surrounding the lower board
And a yellow ball which I called the sun
Then on the middle, was a lonely Elephant
Raising his trunk high into the sky
More like, he was saluting someone up there
And I asked why he painted a lonely Elephant
“Shouldn’t he be having a family, sort of?”
He shrugged, smile and brought the image down
“He is lonely, only to his thoughts
He owes no one, he fears no one
He cares and loves himself, as he is” he replied
Perhaps the world had been crude to him I felt
Like he understood my mind, he smiled
“Now sit right there, Im gona paint you”
He said excitedly, pointing to a seat
His head will stuck out
Now and then to peer at me
I put up my best smile
Something inbetween a tear and innocency
He was’nt bothered at my look
My sister would have blurted out
“Ugh! Please change that face, Oke!”
Well, I tried to enjoy it, while it lasted
When the boredom tried to come upon me
He then was finally done; with a sigh
“Okay, and here we go; your portrait”
He carefully, turned the image to my view
I saw the image stare at me in confusion
Or was I the one confused; anyhow
Someone, somebody was truly muddled
Havent noticed my jaws were dropped
Till when I had need for talking
“Uhm, okay. I can’t explain the connection
Of I and, and eh… Him” I pointed at the image
“But deep down me, that guy, that painting
Feels like a part of me, feels like me!”
The painter laughed, enjoying my confusion
“Well, painting is like the revolving Earth
Each time you try to look at it,
Each gaze seem to be the very best
At certain point, at the age of the youth
Things, reasoning come to you different
But for your confusion and the Elephant
Do you now understand why I paint?”

“Come, come closer…
Keep your palms on mine
Look into my eyes
See how much you mean to me”

1
Come and feel my steel shine
Call me your gladiator
Your defender, your shield, your man
I am your shepherd

2
Have you seen my birds cackle?
Call me your farmer
I will press the Olives into your palms.
I shail help your dreams grow

3
Come and see my musings
I am your mouthpiece, your pencil
I will sing with my croaky voice
All night a lullaby will be, by the fireside

4
Come be by my side
I am your lover, and your my lover
We will make this companionship work
I am your friend, made just for you

Once upon my little hamlet
When the mornings are quiet

And the villagers all move out

Some to the farms, some to the rivulets,

Even though it rained the previous night

I went to the garden in the morning

The clouds were bright and sunny

The wasps and bees were out hunting

I saw an adder with her hissy warning

Also at the gate, a weary figure kept standing

So the plan for some tomato stew failed

And in my heart of hearts I joyfully wailed

‘Heem, Hallo there!’ he must have noticed

My approaching presence towards the board

He tried to move slowly, but almost stumbled

‘Hello sire’ I greeted when I saw he was old

He looked up, wearily his mouth smiled

He had grey hair upon his bard head

He wore a pretty fanciful black sun shades

So the smile in the glass made him look wild

‘Can I help you sire?’

‘Oh no no, your fine gardens I admire

In an innocent relieve I sighed

Trying to recall when last I admired

My own fine veggies, again I sighed

‘Do you mind if I came to have a look?’

‘No, I mean yes’ I remembered the snake

‘Well, I have got some seeds of Artichokes’

I looked into his face, it wasn’t a mock

Why must this adder spoil this, for goodness sake?

‘Uhm, sir would you like a cup of tea?

I wouldn’t mind if you spent sometime with me’

The culture around here, adores hospitality

I knew he needed some warmth and cosy

So after a little while, he followed me

Once inside my quiet and fine sitting room

My little citadel, pen fortress and home

Where all my wildest fantacies are tamed

Everywhere; Pen, paper and poems

And I believed he must have thought me lame

Well, I offered the tea as I promised

And left him, knowing he is relaxed

I made sure all the windows were opened

‘Ehen, ehen, ehen’ he sneezed

I turn to see him clean his and nod

‘Come, let me tell you the secrets of the garden

Trying to draw my attention

‘Make your heart a beautiful and green garden

Full of flowers, shrubs; sweet smelling and fine’

He laughed at my confusion and lay again

(1.)
Hail the sun rises!
Down from the hidden hills
And up to the white clouds
The rains has come upon us
And Mother Natures romance has begun

(2.)
I am a rainmaker
For the days are stuffy and hot
And to the cold rains we must go
I am a painter
For each morning my mind is awoken
To the wonderful hues before me
I am a farmer
For my passion for the Wild
Can’t be imagined or measured
I am a singer
For I sing songs in my heart
And when the Wind sings, I with her
I am a tale teller
For these stories are mild
And in the night, a lullaby it is
I am a poet
For each day turn to nights
And I realise that the pen has got a might
I am a lover
For nothing else spoils the world
But uncontrolled love…
I am Okechukwu Iroegbu
A common man of many deeds
But to Jehovah I owe it all

(3.)
The sun sets before my eyes,
Night throws her veil on earth
The breezes travel south
And on their pathways
They play lyrics of sooth
And within, without
I see how lucky I am
To have your unfailing love

“I hear the wind come behind me
As I sit, backing my open windows
I hear the wind summon the rains
And this time, night has fallen upon all”

The wind tickles my true fancy
It plays flutes like the Arabians
Who try to wake a sleeping adder
The nights grow quiet,
I feel the wind surge in
To arrest my tiredness
My candles light dance, excited
Bouncing to the rhythm of the wind
In this mix I am part of,
A cricket calls from somewhere
Seemingly stirring the direction
Of the wooey wind toward herself

How lovely, it is to write
To tell tales of how you feel,
To interact with mother Nature
And at the very end
I must be fast, lest I miss this bed

I wonder if it was a crime to love
Or yet a sin to even try at all;
But then memories sift into time
Amazed to the worlds littleness,
The world seeks after lust
A shrug I must to this vanity
To love oneself is true happiness
But as the nights turn to days
And the days into past memories
It comes to me that love ain’t for everybody
I will continue to try to love others, genuinely
As God has loved me…

I feel absolutely nothing right now…

1.
The mists still settle upon the hamlet
The hills, the vales and the green forests
All is treacherously hidden in it
One must tread very carefully, lest
You step on a stray scorpion or serpent
Or fall into a ditch or a fast flowing rivulet
The morning took the place of the night
And there, goes the beautiful African mist

2.
And when the African warriors chant
Singing the songs which frights the Wilds
I run up, to the hills to take a view
Hoping to catch a glimpse of the company
Up the solemn blue skies, the Hawks circle
Boys beat the bush with huge sticks
And men walk around with pepper stoves*
The women and girls stay behind,
Pounding, grinding, cooking and brewing

3.
As my eyes wake, I see the light
And now it rains again after the night
I stay humbly quiet
Listening to this blessedness
A roof pettering; so mild, so soft
Drums played by unseen hands
Up and down; the tempo went
With much silent innocence
For my young wings are not hurt…
I lay to observe this sweetness

Note:
Pepper Stoves: A collection of dried grass with pepperic condiments stucked into a metallic structure constructed to have small holes that can enable the passage of smoke; meant to be used as a trap for the rodents of the wild. When a rabbit hole is sighted these stoves are shoved into it, and lighted. The smoke is strong and can choke the inmates of the hole, forcing them out…

“Oh goodness it rains!
The windows clap about
And the curtains dance
To the wooing songs
Of the sweet airy Night”

And I can feel the rain drops through the window
And the smell of the new rain upon the dusty roof
The curtains blow up and down my weary face
All is cold, all is warm, all is truly entertaining
Oh, lullaby; mother Natures’ drum keep playing…

What sweet sleep the shepherd observes
For the Days toil has come and gone
And I upon my bed listens to a song
Which no voice or choir can ever sing

But to my bed sitted by the window
I lay bare-chested tossing about
From one end of this cold bed
To the other side by the window
On this beautiful rainy night
One of blessed airs and wild winds
Tuning in high pitches, sweet rendition;
A lullaby I can not find elsewhere…

I must say a good night to you all,
Oke Iroegbu