Oke’s Musings: Poetry, People and Places

Tag: West Africa

  • Poetale: The Nomad

    When twilight came I took a walk, for some air And down the roadside I went. There a young man stood Bearded heavily unlike myself Throwing corn seeds into his mouth And grinding them with such relish That his brown teeth showed off He stood a little close to my fence And I decided to…

  • Golden Savannah images

  • Visit Africa: Benin in Images

    Discover beautiful Benin in a few images💚💙

  • In Ovim

    I’m back to Ovim Isuikwuato, my hometown. It has been a long week for me, marking and grading students’ math exam. Coupled with the noisy neighbourhood, the stress nearly overwhelmed me. Thank God it’s Friday. Now far away from work and town’s hustle bustle, I can feel myself heal. The surrounding hills – notably Ugwu…

  • Nigeria

    In the morning, the sun rises Above the horizons and cliffs And on the smiling faces on the farms Hope rises with the sun, As the children roll out their bicycles To the tanned fields of the hamlet Followed by their pets, puppies and kittens A proud cloud draws a huge smile And on the…

  • Visit Africa: Cotonou

    Have you heard of Cotonou? Cotonou is a large port city on the south coast of Benin, in West Africa. At the eastern end of central Boulevard St. Michel is the huge Dantokpa Market, which features religious items and spices alongside everyday objects. To the southwest, the 19th-century Cotonou Cathedral has a striking red-and-white striped…

  • Why you should visit Africa

    If you are in rural Africa, when the sun set you will be very lucky to witness events that you may never see elsewhere in the world! The sun rise brings joy. Dew, Heavens water, congregate on the roof tops, tree leaves and grasses. The sun may stay for a while but can rise as…

  • The Forest

    1 You call to me, tonnes of sound whispering through the wind Calling me, singing songs of the wild, emissary of Nature You send the birds, they ‘caw-caw’, they fly the heavily blued cloud They make the skies their tuft, everything in you: their leisure 2 Green trees, red flowers, purple feathers, all in perfect…

  • A muse: Sunset

    Shadows Fall behind the mud huts They paint soulful images, Like the web tent of a black widow Hanging like a carefree skeleton And the brown stains from hands Old or fresh which design the walls Silhouettes Fall behind the palm trees They draw strange figures, One like the village masquerade which dance heartily on…

  • Ina Murna

    The song on my lips are ones of rejoicing and dancing Come don’t mind the sand storm that bother our gathering My voice is not enough to sing, come join me make merry See the green fields and fine birds have no sorrow, no worries Smile the whole world waits to hear your tale Do…

  • Africa: Retelling the story

    What if there was no love in me for you Africa…? I shrug, I will not think of it… I wonder which other songs are left for me to sing I wonder what can give me much joy for a better future And I thank God for this gift, for Africa, for the world For…

  • Ogbor Hill

    She sprawled across the breadth of the land. She lay humbly Like someone listening to the Ocarina of time Wasting away to carefree and careless governments Losing the charm it was once known for And settling for lesser things and lesser people Ogbor hills abbatoirs lay with blood of sheep, pigs and cattle The river…

  • Poetale: Drought Land, songs of Reality

    There was a land, somewhere in Africa Where the rain won’t come for a long time The people are lean from walking distances In search of streams or rivers But sometimes they get no water For Crocodiles lived in those rivers And they were always hungry, always! So the men went with local guns While…

  • Okechukwu’s Haiku

    The night came and went, but we are awake to Gods call Though the night brought darkness and bricks of wall To everyone, men and women, great or small Yet the love of God wakes with us to perfect us all Good morning from Africa!

  • When the rains go

    The ponds will go dry As the rains slowly go, And the clouds very shy For she will have none to woo When the rains go to other lands She carries her entourage of wind, Throw into childrens eyes fine sand And leave a handsome wreck behind The weather grows hot in the evenings And…

  • Bulie Dikem: Abu Ekele nke sitere n’aka Oke’ Iroegbu

    Bulie dikem! Eze ndi eze niile Chukwu nnam Aka m di n’elu, Chi oma m Onye ike niile di n’aka Unu kporo ya isi n’ala Nani gi bu chi di ndu Kedu ihe madu bu Ma o buru na, ime ghi ya otu? Anam enya gi ekele Ndi Igbo kwenu, kelenu Chineke N’ihi rue mgbe…

  • Owerri

    How I missed you beautiful city The city that made me a man! Oh, how lovely it is to walk your streets Like Robin back from the gaols of France But then the city wear a new look Like a silver bracelet, shiny and comely Upon the old things the new thrive New Owerri and…

  • Sun rising

    Hail the sun rises from the East From the back of the houses and hills Up the skies, just above the green forests On the faces of the glittering waters And the rugged patches of the dusty earth The sun rises upon all little hamlets And on all busy streets of the towns, On the…

  • Umukwu: In Cold Mornings

    It is a very cold morning As dew descend upon this land From those ancient hills Standing like medieval knights Protecting, shielding and guiding the hamlet Quiet, queer and strange But full of amazing life When you feel the cold Touched by the tip of a grass leave On your way to the stream Or…

  • The Rising sun

    The sun rises! Giving her warmth To all, rich and poor Throwing her light On the trees That shade little fauns The gloom is gone The clouds are blue And the birds are out Playing and surfing the air The weather is warm And the heat is on The sun rises Our crops rejoice The…

  • Nigeria

    In the morning, the sun rises Above the horizons and cliffs And on the smiling faces on the farms The hope rises with the sun As the children roll out their bicycles To the tanned fields of the hamlet Followed by their pets, puppies and kittens A proud cloud draws a huge smile And on…