Tit bits from friends.....

Having lost the zeal to write any more poems (not due to lack of ideas), I have turned to friends who have something to say as well. Reading some of their poems and notes have however struck me deeply. I realised that I do construct my poems in no simple manner, making the meaning or reason behind the poems difficult to decipher and this worries me greatly. I probably need this break now to reassess how I structure my writings so that people can understand better and relate to my ideas in much intimate manner. Nonetheless, enjoy these poems from my good friends......

Tame (By Abi Tobi)

Staring at myself 

Wishing for someone to see 

The dreams in my eyes

Why I can’t I be free?

Let lose?

I want to keep tame

For good name

For good face

And also for pride,

Yes, I take pride in all of me

But am no angel

The right one will know

Could be the devil in the red dress

I know how to get what I want

But I only use this privilege for the right one 

And when I don’t, it is a mistake

Maybe one that had to teach me lessons

soo those dreams in my eyes are special

I pray only the right one sees it

Walking Memoirs (by Chioma Obuekwe)

A soothing breeze of assurance,

surrounds thee like that beautiful romance

underneath thy Veil.

Running along thy memory lane,

behold seasons degrade.

Memoirs of bitter sweet symphony

encompassing thy betrothed yet so painful.

A being that was once so beautiful,

One who I could lay my head

and tell thee of the mischief of thy World.

The analogy of life,

That rose which once brought thee hope,

behold turns it upside down,

Leaving thy virtue so helpless,

Opened with nothing but torn pieces.

Memoirs to keep?

Memoirs to deed?

For as one knows,

So as requiem lives,

Requiem mass in D minor leads.

We'll get there someday!

Growing up can be challenging. The comparisons, the self doubts, the complexes, the fear of failure, the confusion of your desires, and the list goes on. One thing is certain, we all seek happiness and this can only be achieved when we get all we want right? Problem is, we'll never stop wanting so does that mean we'll never be happy? Someone once said for you to be happy, you need to be contented with what you have......so does that mean that we should not be ambitious? For if that is the case, all the yearnings in our heart would be ignored thus leaving us unfulfilled and then again, unhappy! So how then do we get to be ambitious and content at the same time? Well, that is the dilemma of growing up.....knowing how to measure the balance.....knowing when to lose in other to win, knowing which things to let go and which things to hold on to.....knowing when to stop being nice and to be harsh for a change....knowing which motivations are right and which are wrong and yet still, doing all this without losing the plot of who we are or are striving to be. A friend of mine shares her own experience....of rumblings in her head........and she does get the plot in the end.....:)

In Nigeria, we have a saying that goes, ‘It is not only the fox; even the snail arrives at its destination’. Hearing this instantly warms my heart and automatically makes me smile.

Sometimes I think of where I am compared to where I want to be. If only I did this and that and changed this little thing about me or threw away this entire chunk of my personality, maybe I’ll get to that place. It’s even worse when I compare myself to my peers, ‘if only I were confident like Kirsten’ I mumbled this to myself all three years of high school, or, ‘maybe if I were pretty and smart like Deniz’ I would think this and stare jealously at my best friend. Over the years though, I’ve come to realize that being pretty and smart like Deniz, or being confident like Kirsten doesn’t matter. It’s really about being confident, pretty and smart like me.

Even now I think about my career and where some of my mates have gone with their lives. A friend that owns his own business and is doing pretty well at it, or another friend that has figured out how to be fun and adventurous, yet at complete peace with one’s own self even at times of trouble, and throw in the fact that she’s smart, outspoken and is the very definition of power-woman all in one. Yeah, we all have that friend in our lives, the one we look up to and think, damn, where do I keep getting it wrong in my life?

Then I take a thorough look at myself, pick out all the nasty bits that need to go, make a deadly-sins list and hang it up on my wall as a reminder of all the wrong things I believe I embody and it’s just not healthy. Every time I look at this list, I get depressed because I realise that shoot! I committed offense number two on my list, at least ten times today without even noticing it. Although, it’s good to want to mature and grow, I’ve learnt to look at my weaknesses and strengths as the formula that makes me.

Still, I always get stressed out worrying about ‘why it took me two years to get into my program of study while it took others a year only. Now I’m going to be stuck here when all my friends have graduated. Or why did I do so poorly on this exam while others aced it? Why can’t I get a better, higher-profile job like she has? And why is it taking me so long to get in a real relationship while others are already getting married?

I have realised though that everyone has their own pace. The fox may be a fast runner and gets to where it’s going in time, but then so does the snail. It’s slow and just crawls around, but be sure it will get to that party on time! To begin with, It’s all about being fully aware of who you are. The snail knows that it is slow, so if it got an invite for seven pm, it’ll leave the house at two pm, leaving a good five hours to crawl and get there. It has forgiven itself for its shortcomings and now works with it. So when I feel like my life is running on slow motion and I get left behind a lot, I try to take things one step at a time, measuring the time I need against the time that I have. Also, now I try to make a conscious effort against comparing myself to others, because this is MY life so I focus only on the things that I need done to get myself to the place that I want to be; slow or not, I will arrive at my destination.

By Tosin Babatunde

...The Western Chronicles - ....Anxiety II

12 cycles of constant toil
Midnight candles constantly glowing...slowly melting
Our minds torn apart from reality
Immersed in a pool of ideals
Secret and open pleasures forgotten
Constantly chasing the dreams of our future
Hidden patterns and secrets
Old habits suddenly overcome
Time nearly too short
The hope of satisfaction....of respect....of fulfilment constantly fading
Anxiety!

A mission near impossible
Time, beyond a necessity...more like a desperation
Stored wagers continually depleting
A situation worsened by over-bloated egos
Leaving beacons of help "unlighted"
Horrid opinions pondered...yet none exploited
The curtain drawing on an already bleak future
Awaiting the winner of the duel between reason and ego
Anxiety!

Ten cycles already gone atop the oceans
A blissful voyage at first
Calm hearts and minds with candle light evenings atop the deck
Slowly marred by restless spirits
An infectious disease
Driving each to a delirious state
With a short budding period yet a re-infectious capacity
It slowly turns to an epidemic
Thoughts of abandonment pondered by the sane
Only to be infected as they lower their escape boats
A curse of the gods? Maybe.....
A way out eluding the rather troubled mind of the captain
Anxiety!

A mind riddled with different shades of different colours
An open book with unending pages
Unknowingly cunny and slippery
Masking its loving, forgiving, kind and intuitive allure
Driving other minds to frustration
Grossly misunderstood....falsely accused
An exodus started
Leaving it disappointed and disheartened
Anxiety!

...The Western Chronicles - ....The Sea Angel II

Secret trips to the shores
Ancient whispers continually echoing
Promises made remembered
Lots of questions left unanswered
Hope kept alive or purely the curiosity of untasted passions?

In reminiscence....
Hurts of the past relived....scares turned once again to wounds
Minds like itchy fingers
Slowly scraping through.....once again drawing blood
The scent of, attracting her from the ocean depths
Past hungers once again aroused
A stronger mind awaiting patiently
The wrath of the gods fully anticipated

In her enchanting allure she stands again
A lovely being....a beautiful heart...tainted by they chains of the gods
Hers not a battle to begin
Her sheath swordless,  her bow devoid of any arrow
Rather soothing words....soft touches
Silently dressing opened wounds with aloe
Lest they leave behind ugly scars
Quietly erasing the ugly past....
Leaving behind only beautiful memories
Questions answered.....anger lost
The shores shockingly quiet

Certainly not the anticipated outcome
Battle ready minds left stuttering by the shores
Time too short...for the gods once again are angered
Swearing at the boldness of the captain in thunderous bolts
Stirring the oceans....for a storm against the hinterlands
In respect....in love....the rendezvous planned to end
Once again, promises made....
As weary feet scuttle away from the shores
Yet still....a few stolen glances over the shoulder
To once more behold the lovely essence
Of the Sea Angel.

...The Western Chronicles - My Apologies

Youthful, fresh and very optimistic
Your intelligence an amazing gift
Wielded with confidence to near perfection
Opinionated, energetic....with a demand to be heard
My apologies love
For these waters I've tasted
My presence thus...an eye beyond the horizon for you to be
Rather than a wrestling mate in an amateur contest

A loving heart
Beautiful...emotional...
With a sweet romantic allure
Often decrying a non-reciprocity
My apologies love
For love ain't only about the fast heartbeats
But also of peace, quiescence....comfort and calm
An experience I have desired for ages

A yearning heart like every other
Romantic gestures and trips....sweet memories to hold on to
In haste, promises made forgotten
Harsh rebuttals....unfair judgements
My apologies love
Stabbed a million times by the distance
An untrue and absurd account of me it rendered at the trial

Swallowed pain and emotions
A disappointed heart....not to be blamed
Fighting hard to understand scruples of a rather unusual mind
Verged to the point of no return
A subtle betrayal escalated by untrue accounts
Shrouded even deeper by concealed versions
My apologies love
For forgotten emotions you up-welled
Alas inspiring me
Sending me to my knees amid misty eyes
Yet still at the very tail of the lion you bit
The consequences yet to fully unfold? Who knows

Still my apologies
For in fairness...too much was expected
Yet so little given
A test? No!
Just a bitter meal presented by fate
Still my very best you remain
Your humble connoisseur I hope to remain

Always did....always will.... <3 U

Echoes from the Heart: The future and the trinity of sailors

Unity...
The building force, the grout, holding the pieces together
The resilient stem from which other shoots sprout
The cornerstone...lending support to this beautiful edifice
The anchor ensuring our ship maintain its position
En route to progress


Faith....the driving force
Against Poseidon's storms...the will to forge ahead
The life within the entity....the green shoots of life
The building blocks....without which there'll be no structure
No progress...


Peace...the absence of chaos
The calmness of the seas after the persistence of faith
The light which draws the sprouts to its wisdom
The brainchild with the building plans
The forebearer of progress
In its palms.....a gentle abode for the exposition of his essence


Progress.....the destination
Amidst calm waters....docking at the harbor to a standing ovation
Flowers, fruits...a complete tree...a haven for birds and insects
A completed shelter.....offering tranquillity to this entity
The future....a journey navigated to by the trinity of sailors!




©   Nd Obi

...The Western Chronicles - If I should die tomorrow

If time should cease at midnight

If my blood freezes in its path

Know that at least I planned…had dreams and ambitions

To master the earth and fly the skies

To win hearts with woven words

That I would’ve loved to learn Spanish

To play the guitar and sing melodies

To inspire the cold and lead by example

If the sun should set at noon

If my strength completely fails me

Know that your words meant a lot

That I wouldn’t have kept up this charade for this long

You’re every action steering me away from this eventuality

My soul…still in hope of salvation

My body, shielded from depravation

The many dreams held together by my existence

Hopefully might still be fighting the strength of the wind from the North

If daybreak should never come

If my eyes remain shut in an endless slumber

Know that at least I tried

A pure love I constantly offered

The paradoxical contradiction of man completely eluding my comprehension

But not the chaos surrounding his mystical beliefs

My every action twisted for a mortal interpretation

My love, slowly painted till its face completely lost its allure

My immortality shredded

Condescending to the realms of man

In loss….my supreme nature dissipated

If darkness should overrun the morning sun

If my limbs fall into the perfect death stance

Know that I got tired of losing

Of keeping up this drama….of lying in wait

The wickedness and selfishness of man

A sure poisoned dart to forever drain my life

The lies, the deception…so glaring in my eyes…

Boring me to an eternal slumber

My failures pitting my soul with a burden beyond its yoke

My dreams, my desires…finally escaping me

My mind broken…my sword missing…my armor rattled

My breath failing….

My heart……my heart….

Its beat, slowing down…

Hurting with every swell

Till in a lasting embrace

Eternity now my only escape

© Nd Obi

Echoes from the Heart: The Anaemic Angel

“Enweghi ihe emere ndi uwa meta ha nma!”

Critical…

Alas, when all was gloomy and dark

A virtue it seemed

Sparking forth from the depth of darkness

A light of hope

A voice for the people

Transcending above the reaches of ethnicity and religion

Capturing the deep yearning of true citizens

Cynical….

A good virtue turned bad

The new trend of events relegating you to the stands

Stronger minds rising higher

Their dependence on your light hidden from a heart blinded by a covetous veil

Their every action arousing a deep sense of disapproval

Cheeky and Petty remarks

Delirious write-ups promoted on slapdash boards

Sarcastic…..

A protracted stage of a virtue turned vice

Huge approbations coating well constructed jibes

A mass mockery of sincere achievements

Sadistic smiles adorning a face enriched with underlying hate

Ensuing a downward spiral

The witch hunt...

Paving way for a return to the reaches of ethnicity and religion

Alas citizen…

For once, a true nationalist you were

Striving to knit the pieces of this broken entity together

Alas citizen….

For now you drain blood and strength from the cause

Your words, a hot scalding knife slicing the knits so painfully done

Alas citizen…..

For till the cause is rid of your kind

A sure failure it races to embrace!

©   Nd Obi

...The Western Chronicles - The Diamond Princess

Beautiful...sincerely beyond pretty
Enchanting...brilliant and diligent
Never playing catch up...
Her musings deeply scintillating and satisfying
Against strong tides....her voice, our way home
Prophecies of her....once a faraway dream
Now, a reality

Sparking feverish seizures
Her breath...her eyes
Shattering every thread of sanity
Demanding total control
Quelling all ideas of rebellion
Her touch....
Burning....incising an itching sensation
The inner workings of our being, roused in an endless turmoil
Beckoning helplessly for the end...yet enjoying every step

Engaging....yes
Her intelligence...far above her peers
Lovely melody for the Captain
Prying deep the very depth of his knowledge

Embarrassing....yes
Her wisdom...making her elders hide in ignorance
Very deep....devoid of arrogance
Like a magnet...attracting thirsty souls to her court

Completely overwhelming....yes
Her love...like never before experienced
Thick....encompassing.....yet never choking
Like every other.....fairly demanding
Unlike commonly known ones....very forgiving
Never aiming to diminsh existing value
Always willing to increase 
A great love...yet unexpectedly sweet
Devoid of heart crunching sorrow and bitterness
The perfect aphrodisiac for the Captain
Pitting him energetically against the frequent sea storms
His weakness....yet, the very core of his strength

Oh Diamond princess....!
A heart warming smile you constantly evoke
Your place in the forth coming voyage pretty reserved
For the very presence of you....our deepest desire
The perfect Jewel...offering a completeness to the décor of our hearts!

©  Nd Obi

Echoes from the Heart: The distressed Trinity

A collation of despairing interests and dreams

Wielded by the ever strong desire to control

To limit the strong….to project the puny

A system set to fail the masses from the very start

Yet enrich the white bearded witches

From the far reaches of the dry highlands

A bunch shrouded by a dark way of life

So deep rooted….sentinels they’ve appointed

Ever vigilant against the inventions of the white witches

A strong stance it is…

Yet a weakness exploited by their ill meaning shepherds

Driving their sheep over the cliff of hatred and intolerance

Militias and an absence of reason they daily ration

Yet, a strong sense of brotherhood

The desire for earthly things entirely lost

Yet perceivably, the wheels of power theirs to control

A people far from reality…..disillusioned and barbaric

Rising with the sun from the Far East

A people prided with itchy hands, feet and minds

A deep love for earthly things

Spurred by a strong desire to progress

Diligent, smart, adventurous and slightly dubious

An Achilles heel….forever pitting themselves against each other

Brotherhood lost…..a weakness exploited by their envious neighbors

A strong scent of arrogance…

To their peril….the loss of a place in power

Sending them to a timeless sleep

Casting their future in the trinity into uncertainty

In wait for the day they awake from their slumber

The day they restore their love for one another

Standing at a distance from the turmoil

A people set within the falling limits of the sun

Deep routed in their ways….

Yet, a stronger romance with the inventions of the white witches

A strong sense of brotherhood….lasting over the years

Like one big family, internal strives kept within

Halls of power and control carefully stolen with time

A banner to pass on to future generations

The very accord of the trinity….very much not their agenda

Hostile salutations bestowed on their neighbors

Lest they rip them of their perceived heritage

The distressed Trinity

A triploblastic entity on course to a more permanent transformation

Deluded in their belief of superiority

Other entities ignored….

The bloodied Delta….the central people

Ever angered by their arrogance

The distressed Trinity

A mistake by the white bearded witches….

Set to fail the masses from the very start

Yet enrich their pockets….

If only for once you could have your eyes opened

The handwriting on the wall will surely make itself visible

So an end to this senseless marriage….your new agenda to become!

©   Nd Obi

Echoes from the Heart: Tears of Blood...

Tears of blood

Tensions rising

Our hearts persistently troubled

Matchets, clubs and sticks

Butchered heads and amputated limbs

Cornered in houses glowing with red flames

Our very skin charred till we scream no more

Tears of blood…

Streaming down our chicks in ceaseless columns

News from the North causing our hearts to falter

Our dreams, investments…..our hopes

The very cradle of our future

Like unripe bread fruit….forcefully plucked and wasted

Our sons pursued and butchered like goats

Our daughters and wives….even those blessed with new life

Stripped, raped and spat on

Before the blades and fire come crashing down

Tears of blood….

Hearts broken….heads bowed in shame

Paltry sums offered….

The death of our children turned to a mere mockery

The muturus of the North running freely with stupid grins and remorseless stares

Their leaders employing scrawny writers and slapdash blogs

Stories spurn with lies to confuse the weak hearted

And for a brief second….they gloat in their victory

Tears of blood…..

Surely we shall not forget

Our hearts ever scarred….

Plots of vengeance…?

Farfetched…maybe….

But surely…reckoning must be had

Thick wads hardly the price of princely blood

And never in vain shall their souls rest!!!

©   Nd Obi

...The Western Chronicles - Similar cycles....lost concepts

Flash back….more like a 20 year lifetime
Our encounter so pure and pristine
Was it the presence of the ‘guardians’?
Or the sheer absence of tainted faculties
No handshakes or hugs needed
A simple standing acknowledgement of each other’s presence all that sufficed
Intentions so glaring…hardly misconstrued
Her punches and subsequent flight…a clear invitation for a chase
Our limits though unspoken…clearly stated in black and white
It is termed the age of innocence…and I couldn’t agree any less

The years speed up….the numbers lost in translation
Obvious changes….hardly understood
Protruding frontiers….rounded centers and bulging posteriors
Rising serpents…hairy skin…and a voice that has lost its innocence
Intentions different…actions misunderstood
A period of differing ideas
Over dwellings on fantasy effecting a myopic assumption of transparency
Limits hidden….exposed only in hidden corners and dark places
The concept of contact and flight pretty much simple still
Yet…it is called the age of faith…..when the dawn of reality is yet to arrive

Faith?
Yes faith!
Of belief in tales so beautiful…
Of good intentions….of heroism
A period of sincere emotions….of ‘madness’
The willingness to give up everything
The idea of personal gain not yet translated in its purest form

Back to the present
Broken hearts….bruised egos
Intentions rapidly evolving yet clearly understood
Enemy camps fully prepared….faithful warriors ready with sharp swords
The concept entirely lost in translation
Encounters more like a blood fest
The least illuminated…a ready sacrifice on the altar
Her touch, smile and hugs…..shrugged off as insignificant
Her kisses and whispers…a call to war
Swords drawn…hearts shielded…mind games ensue
It is called the age of reality…of enlightenment
Lasting longer…a detriment or advantage….?

Beyond the present…the last days
Weary eyes and bodies yielding to the stress of time…to battle wounds
The answers sought for ages….a free commodity gifted the foolish and wise alike
Reasons for war forgotten
Regrets….sour grapes to consume in the dark
It should be called the age of illumination….or that of wisdom
Then again…the answers offered give no solution neither does it alters our fate
Then again….the real enemy is unmasked
And the ages of innocence and faith remain solely missed

©  Nd Obi

...The Western Chronicles - Broken hearts & disappointed minds

Silenced intuitions....blinded sight
Warnings unheeded....
Wrong passions pursued....
In culmination....broken hearts and disappointed minds
Yet still....loose strings...
A tempting support to pull on
Sweet voices murmured in dark places....
A tempting melody to dwell on
The curiosity of untasted passions....a burning desire fuelled
Mistakes of the past not to be revisited
For hopefully....lessons remain learnt
And in fairness....the very best we offered


Alternating motions
Two choices....two hearts
In reality our deepest weakness
Today...the vision of happiness springing from fulfilment
Tomorrow...happiness covered with crispy notes
A constant battle between ideals and a harshly served reality
The concept of perpetual failure....eating deep our resolve
Our desire to succeed....our dreams...aspirations and ideas
In culmination....broken hearts and disappointed minds
In silent prayers for an end to this torture....


Repeated ultimatums
A reason to falter?
Hidden voices inside our heads
Scary thoughts.....a pending venom for innocent minds
Hope, faith and understanding all we seek
For this fragile journey of ours to remain unthreatened
A reason to fret? Most definitely not
For what it takes we know we have
Yet still....against raging storms....we shall learn to fight 'together'
So in culmination, broken hearts and disappointed minds.....ours to mend....

© Nd Obi

...The Western Chronicles - the last Storm before Calm.....

Sitting aloof.....eyes glued to colored screens

Mazy patterns....all that once was a picture so beautiful

Likewise efforts laid in anticipation

Seemingly fruitless...the toil swallowed by a sea of demands

Sleepness nights....raging thoughts....the usual magic

All inefficacious! 

A brain drain? Maybe...

Eyes turned skyward....sunken and all sore

Like a trance....pictures of storms in the past racing through our minds

Desperation mounting......the end?

In pessimism we agree.....and yet again

In hope, the last storm before calm

The swinging extremes ever present

Like a pendulum....deep illusions of absence it offers

Teasing our minds to falter....a belief in its strength

Or lack thereof? Who knows....?

In deeper scrutiny....the ailment persists...

Now masked by fake impressions....

A deeper puzzle for our hearts...

Unsettlingly? No doubt...

Yet, like watching a dog bark into darkness

Neck hairs all erect in anticipation....and still...the eyes see nought

Are we at war once again..?

In pessimism we agree...and yet again

In hope, the last storm before calm

Failures of the past...haunting prospects for the future

Efforts laid for better fortunes

Heavier risks....

Distances covered!

In search of fertile grounds....

Seemingly the same plague over such vast expanse 

Or are our eyes playing tricks once again?

Thoughts of sacrifices made....of wagers paid

Sending our minds to flight....

Desperation creeping in...

The art we once mastered seemingly vanishing from our hearts

Is this the end?

In pessimism we agree....then again

In hope....the last storm before calm

The concept of dreams....

Ours too numerous to count...

The skill very much in our possession..

Plans...one at a time...

Still, a heart weakened by persistent storms

Found wanting when scaled against the remaning dreams

Plans changing....an atttempt to grasp all....

A mistake....? Most likely

The expectation of clear and supernatural vision not met...

In dissappointment....a downward spiral to plunge into.....

Like a boat adrift in mid ocean

A captain too numb to steer....

Conceding to the raging storms....

A stark opposite to the legacy documented in the diary of the seaman

Was this the vision of the three horned stars?

In pessimism we agree....too weak to make a comeback....then again..

In hope.....the last storm before calm.....

© Nd Obi