Which Way, Lord?

Staring out into the ocean, with no land in sight,

The world seems so vile ‘cause here and now,

It’s just me and Elyon my hope.

Often, I raise my hands in supplication,

In search of some direction,

To seek clarity in every purest ambition.

The wind and water hit my face, like pellets of reminders,

They tell me the air and water I depend on can hurt me

Just as much as they can nourish me.

Yet still, I hold on to them. I can’t let them go,

Because as much as they hurt at each step

And as much as they nourish, I have nothing else.

And I need them to understand my journey.

The Love of Elyon is pure, yet it comes with pain and pleasure

And we’re told it’s for lessons and satisfaction on the journey.

So, here I stand alone staring out into the ocean,

With no land in sight, it’s only the air and water I depend on.

With nothing in hand, I stand beneath the wings of seagulls.

Logosu, tell me, when the New Year comes to my door

Will my words need plumbers though I rest under his shelter?

Or I’ll need carpenters to reshape how I sit at my place?

The Year Is Now Dead, What Next?

We have come to where the sidewalk ends

And tonight, when the dreary bell rings at Midnight

Each of us will ponder over each second of our days

When we were weak and weary yet life went on

Some with thanksgiving will remember God’s grace

Like many mothers mourning for their children in the storms

Others like wives bereft of husbands and fathers singing dirges
For the loss of their flesh, with their spirit misplaced in tears

While blissfully some drums would thrill with champagne

In august and royal homes where lights glow, yet we can’t forget
Songs of sorrow the music of desolation of many wearing masks
Just to drown their songs of lamentations carried for miles

Do you remember how you once baked bread with your sweat

Then dare not to forget and never forget the ABCD of our lives

Armory, Bullet, Calamity, Devastation in “I can’t breathe”

They walk through lives of children of our Motherland

You may have experienced freedom from want
But I understand freedom has more colors than one
In fact more than I can explain today or tomorrow

In the Mouth of Wealth there are wounded souls

Can we have God with songs in the future

Straighten limbs of men and women to glow

Enter into tomorrow where life's visions never vanish

And dreams live on and we no more bath in tears

Will you celebrate the me and mine and sing of the self again

Let’s leave behind that place where the smoke blows dim

To go to where our desires are and our hopes profound

Now that the Old Year is dead and a New Year is born

Let’s go to where the moon shall be bright when we are dust

To where the stars are starry in the time of our darkness

Let’s pause now at the place where the sidewalk ends with all

And on the new street we dance with our innermost hearts out

Can’t Find Another You

Darling I’m knee deep in loving you

I done got deeper than I wanted to
It’ll probably drown me before I’m through
Because I can't find another you

When first we met I wanted Love

And you brought it down to me
I wanted you to stay but the next day
You flew away to the far end of the world

I thought I’d wade easily through my tears 
Instead it wet my feet and drenched my beard

Too late to find a dried place on another route 
So I just keep sinking deeper in your love

Today I’m knee deep in loving you
I’m done got deeper than I wanted to
It’ll probably drown me before I’m through
Because I’m knee deep in loving you

Where Will I Be Without You?

Yesterday and today are both present in tomorrow

And should tomorrow start without me
Or should the sun rise and I’m no longer by your side

Will I find your eyes filled with tears

As life without you is like a starless night

I know you love me much as I love you
But when tomorrow starts without me
Or you are told an angel came and took my hand
That my place was ready in heaven far above

Will me without you be like a colorless rainbow

For all my life you’ve always been on my mind
And I had so much to live for in your heart
It seems almost impossible I could live without you.
So when I think of today and what tomorrow will bring 

Where will I be without you if not a beach without a sand

I’ve always thought of the love we shared,

And if I could live just for a while
My only treasured possession is your smile

Which I want to take with me wherever I’ll be
But I realized nothing did I bring nor will take away

The emptiness and memories of me would bring tears

And the silence will blossom like tumors on lips

When you think you heard my footsteps on the stairs

So when tomorrow starts without me by your side

Let your smiles see me at home beyond heaven’s gates

Where is the Love?

How do we go from here to love

When violence wrecks our nations
When indifference is the gain of pledges

How do we go from here to cherished hope

When corruption is the order of the day

Around us are war, hunger and destructions

Everywhere unity is just a word on lips

And grinding of teeth the order of society

Where is the love when mothers nightly cry

And the bereaved can’t be comforted

Around the world I see countries

And families torn apart by war and strife

I can’t see peace when the people are not free

Where is the love that blows in the gentle breeze

That every soul can breathe a sigh with smiles

Where is the love when children disappear
And fathers are lost in deep agony

Where do we go from here to hope

When darkness becomes our companion
And our land is watered by bloodshed

Where do we go from here to love

When the land is uncertain of what next to come

When the haunting past storms into the present

And the future mourns of its failed mission
Can we find love again before hot sun overwhelms us

Where is laughter when defeat is our destiny
And how can we get to seasons of hope
When the sun sadly walks us by to its place
And our tears become the cloak of our existence
Oh Lord, where is the love they promised

My Love and All

Last night I fell asleep
And saw you dancing in my dreams
Just like the autumn leaves
Have fallen for you, all for you

And you changed my life
You changed my ways
I don't even recognize myself again
It must be a reflection of you, that made it

I can't remember the last time I felt love like this
I can't imagine living life without you by my side
Day after day you find a way to make me cry
Really, I can't remember the last time I felt love like this

My arms still hold you tight like in my dreams
I want to keep you warm in the coldest night
Where my hand would pull your hair right back

Away from your eyes for you to look into my face

If I knew just how to do it, I'd hang the moon,

And the stars around you to adorn the horizon
But I couldn't make it more beautiful than you
Darling nothing compares to you, my love and all

Where I Come From

where we come from, joy
floats around us like clouds
the way leaves rustle in the breeze
and love and beauty swing in our embraces
and smile with all our senses from sunrise till sundown

where I come from dreams do not rest on fences
when the cock crows the young and old rise
take to the road with sparkling powerful arms
songs work-songs harvest-songs and jolly-songs 

hold us tightly in fragrant dances
and kinship are to us scents of magnolia and frangipani
and rituals of the elders look toward the skies
from where cometh our Help of Ages

where I come from on every village lane

and on footpaths you could see something lovely

you can see our children's smiles white and glistening  
young girls in braids as precious as gold 
the swing of their hips the rhythm in their gait
the smile on soft-brown cheek and the movement of the eyes
leave the lanky brother in the heat blowing kisses in the air

once I heard low bass voices crooning

on a Saturday afternoon when the Rainmaker

came out of the forest with the Dipo girls

the magical flowers of breasts lost many in the garden of chimera
and they disguised their racing pounding hearts
in the melody of the music in their heads

strangers who won't be for long be spectators
left with their manhood shooting loudly ahead of them

where I come from are many things to sing about
not these hard core blues low bass voices crooning
nasty cruising thoughts on corrugated Freeways 
turning nouns into verbs and fetching dreams
strewn with bones that melt melodies to huge fires
but with my smiles and deep dark eyes

I’ll continue to see there's so much to life than gold teeth

For a Friend

seeing the sun rise with glow this morn
its rays dancing among the leaves in the grove
I saw my tears dry like dew on village lanes
and for once, I found again the lost smile
that was missing for a long time

seeing the moon with the choir this night
this heart holds hope like a rock
to see this old heartache in love's cradle leave

maybe I no longer will cry at night
as if all my dearest friends are gone

Her Journey Just Begun

don't think of Ablavi as gone
her journey has just begun
life holds many facets and the Earth is only one
therefore, think of Mother as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days nor years

think how she must be wishing
that we know, life brings tears, smiles and memories
and though our tears may dry, and our smile fade
it is only our memories that live on forever

so we must think of her as living,
living in the hearts of those she touched
for nothing loved is ever lost-
and she was loved so much

so, don’t stand by and grieve and weep
she is not here nor dead
she is the thousand winds that blow in the veldt
she is the diamond glints on the sky
like the sunlight on ripened grain

she is the soft refreshing rain
that falls on a hot summer afternoon
and when we awake in the morning's hush
she is the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight
she is the star that shines at night
to bring you a smile that none can steal
when death leaves a heartache no one can heal

To my Ancestors

my silence salutes the tall Dreams

of the Dead who withdrew from here
to roam over fine mountains and
frighten hawks reshaping my dreams

sometime the sound and throbs of their breath
is a rage of blood in eons of anger with stones and axes
at times they come as Fumes of Smoke
on a Dark Noon to take me across rivers of Solitude

but I sometimes wonder if while tip-toeing

in the fog of foreign suits we have not lost sight

of the ancestors' humorous laughs

at the steps we place in the quicksand 

and call ourselves special names

sometimes I stroll around the roundabout of my memory
when carving affections for my dead soul
in unforgettable words like a master-butcher

who picks up the axe and dismembers parts of goat-meat

that tastes so good and says, tonight there will be another party
with champagnes in place of palm wine

I have grown sick of songs of sorrow
I want to cross the rivers of solitude
sing new songs of joy to celebrate the past and present
and sing and dance in gratitude for life at Home

but will my ancestors be accustomed to forgiving me
every day for the loss of my Soul
the Soul lost in the fog of foreign suits

I Appreciate Your Kindness

thank you is not enough
to tell you my deep feelings
about your thoughtfulness and the gift of love
but in the absence of the right word

let this note thank you and say
the memory of your thoughtfulness
will be remembered for many days and many nights
till this Breath leaves for Home by your gift of love

I have come to know

you are a person who makes life easier and better
for everyone around you

your continual acts of thoughtfulness and kindness
and love brightens each day of lives
and what you did for me will glow in my memory
reviving pleasant feelings every time I think about it
and should I not tell you in person
how much you mean to me
let this note tell it now, I appreciate your kindness
and thank you forever for the gift of love
that has made a difference in my life

Let's Get on It

One day when time races against us

And your legs can't work like they used to
And I too can't sweep you off of your feet
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?

So Darling, let’s get on it now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart
That’s where we found love the first night

Time waits for no one in the world

So when my hair's all but gone and my memory fades
And you no longer can remember my name
When my hands too can't play the strings the same way
Let me know if you will still love me the same

I love you because our souls never grow old,

They’re evergreen and I’ve buried your smile forever
In my mind and I’ve kept in my memory how we fell in love
Maybe it's all part of a Divine plan that we fall deep in love
That’s why I fall in love with you every single day

So, Darling, let’s get on it now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart
That’s where we found love the first night

It’s Over

when we met you told me lies:
you said you loved me and I was

the only one in your life and I
believed you and trusted you

you pretended you shared my sorrows

when my tears were flowing like a river

now I know it was all just a game

to make me believe you have the latest kiss

I was a fool to trust in everything you said
that you were an angel spreading your love

but now your words cut like a dagger
you wanted me to take care of your needs

it doesn’t take long to catch a thief in its own game

‘cos a dead yam-leaf falls off by itself into the dust

and we don’t burn a thief’s house; we comb it

I’m glad you found a new pawpaw-twig to swing on

this morn I learned of what you told my friends

my tears and sorrows are not part of your dreams

all you wanted was me to take care of your needs

so, our love was just an ATM machine

glad to know you obviously never cared

but that doesn't matter anymore
glad you found someone at my backyard

but it won’t take long for the world to know you

the lid you found this morn is for the bowl you hated

the elders say, there’s a reason mother hen in on the market
now I know you thought grass is greener on the other side

well, I’m just too glad you had to go and we shut the door

Hold Me

Hold me gently, touch me softly,
With your beautiful lips, kiss me mildly,
Put your hands on my hips, make me want you,
It won't hurt.

Do it passionately at this hour
It's the middle of the night
And my body is calling your name,
To hold me gently, to touch me softly,


Just touch me, I need it,
I need you to sit here for a minute

To hold my hand, to listen to the heart beat
Yearning for you, to feel your lips


And travel with you to new places in the Soul


I want to feel your hand flow through my hair
To feel heaven as if we were there
Because you are next to me, and there's no other place

I would rather be, than in your arms

Yours Only

When the Sun rises today

I want to be the Smile on your face,
The First thought that comes to you,
I want to be the Joy in your heart
When you walk through the day.
I want to be the last voice,
the only Laughter, the perfect Kiss,
In the comfort of your arms.
I Want To Be Yours, and only Yours.

If I could be any part of you today

I would be your Tear,
To be conceived in your heart, born in your eyes,
Dance on your cheeks, fall on your lips

And Die in your bosom.

Just to Be Yours and Yours only.

I want to hold you tight.
Kiss your lips, and hug you forever.
I want to make you feel wanted
I want you to feel my love and Call you mine.
My sweetheart, my Only true Sweetheart.

MySelf Again

The tree in that sickening pot
could have grown tall like the baobab

on the side of the mountain, but you carved it,

and forced it to the size you want.

Every day you whittle him and tell yourself

how lucky, tiny tree, to have a pot to grow in.

And you bound its feet, crippled its brain,

muddled its hands and dwarfed its growth.

It is our nature to grow.

One day, when you wake from your dreamland

you no longer can cup my constant image in your eyes.

There will be a grave attention in your eyes

and without words you’ll survey me and my world.

There the dim past and the present will mingle

in an opened-mouth amazement.

In all tenderness, truth and untruths will struggle;

and you no longer will keep me like chattel slaves,

cramped in roach infected shacks of your inner senses..

Your sickening pot would be gone;

my growth would be mine.

Good Night My Love

When the jostle and flurry of the day goes silent

My heart beats for you;

And it gets louder and apparent when the sun goes down.

When night takes over day; I start missing you

In ways unimaginable.

When the stars lit up the dark night sky

I feel like staring into your dreamy eyes

When it is time for bed; I wish you were by my side

So we can both go together on a dreamy ride

Kissing one another good night

Nostalgia

if home
were a bunch of pictures
neatly would I wrap them
beneath my armpit
 
if the rivers at home
were a drop of liquid
I would bottle enough
for my suitcase
 
and if the mounts
at home were just grains of sand
I would cup a spoonful
for myself
 
I would bring them with me
sit them on my lap
to build a treasure in my dreams
to cure nostalgia in my soul

Something inside me is so strong

Have you heard, when a man has a greater power than him
guarding his house, his belongings are undisturbed?
Have you also heard that greater is he that is in you,
than he that is outside in the world roaring at you?
The higher you build your barriers, the taller I become
The farther you take away my breath, the faster I will run.
You can deny me, you can decide to turn your face away;
no matter what you do, there’s something inside me so strong

I know I can make it because I know too well
that there’s is something inside me so strong;
and so long as my Redeemer lives, I’ll make it.
Though you’re doing me wrong, so much wrong
though you thought you’ll crush me dead before sunrise,
you are wrong; there’s something inside me so strong
You can deny me, you can decide to turn your face away
No matter what you do, there’s something inside me so strong
 
To you I’m not good enough and you insist
I’m not good enough, but the more you refuse to hear my voice,
the louder I’ll sing; even if you hide behind walls of Jericho,
your lies will come tumbling down like a dream.
Deny me my place and you squander your time;
my flesh may feel the pain, but it won’t touch my soul.
Soon, my light will shine so bright that it will blind you
because there’s something inside me so strong.

Cigars and Cigarettes What's the Difference

I want to say something, so excuse me my language…..please excuse me and forgive me if it hurts your ear or affects my reputation in your heart. With that let me say this, “Every prostitute (that we accuse blindly) was once a virgin; has anyone sat down to find out why she became a prostitute?” I know it may seem strange to you. It may defy explanation. It may seem like evil incarnate, the dis of all disses...but wait, there's always another side to the story. Perhaps if you saw the world the way he/she sees it, it might make more sense. Perhaps if you lived her/his life and experienced the perceptions she/he was taught or has learned, it might provide fresh insight into the actions you find so inexplicable. It doesn't mean you have to forgive him/her, or even interact with him/her, but at least you can understand him/her and not go away with the wrong notion or perception of him/her. So treat your love, your partner, the one you are in relationship with in a way you would like to be treated. What is good for the goose is good for the gander too.

 Cigars and Cigarettes

Every action hides perception
all perception hide a need
So the trick to knowing others
is to find what thirst they feed

Truly rarely the act committed
that's just evil through and through
Most are deeds based upon fears
and sad and sorrowful world views

Some fear loss will be their lot
will some anticipate attack
Some see love as unrequited
So they run and don't look back

Hasten not to condemnation
don't throw baby out with bath
Never fault a man his actions
'til you walk his earthly path

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Picture

sometimes pictures tell a story
of life full of our fears and qualms
and glorious bittersweet moments

some speak of twinges and stabs

scars held deep within furrows on the cheek
some painfully stuck in a corner of the heart
yet because the photographer says, “Cheese”
all we see in the picture is a smile
and not the letter signed with tears

 

 

 

 

Just a Poem

I went begging for alms by the road
from sunrise till sundown
nothing did come my way

late that evening I met a man

richly dressed riding a horse
I counted myself so blessed
for meeting him

when he came near

I went towards him with a basket full of hope
praying he would be kind enough
to get from him the best things life could offer

when I closed on him he asked if I had

something to offer him
he was so hungry and could hardly talk
I looked down into my bag
I had a sandwich given me late that noon

when I gave it to him he bowed so low

in order to thank me
his heart was so glad for the meal

when I got home I emptied my bag

I still had the chocolate of yesterday
I was sad for not giving him this too
and as I pondered over the meeting
something came into my mind
how fortunate I am even in my situation

Birds of the Same Feather Fly Together

Not everyone can keep up in a race. You'll be in synch with some and not with others. When you fall some will get you and some won't. When you miss your steps and fall, some friends will speak a “foreign language” and never your thoughts shall this language discern. But, there is pleasure in the moment when kindred spirits traveling this plane meet and meld minds. Can there be any greater quench of mental thirst than this? Seek a mirror for your mind. Do not just go with the wind. Test the tides as they ebb and flow and not just fall or settle for anything. My Grandma used to say, "Show me your friends and I will tell you a lot about your character." Or have we not heard it said that, birds of the same feather flock together?

When Masters Meet

When lifted minds engage
be wise, let neophytes beware
The action that ensues
awes those unschooled in such affairs

When sages wield their saber wit
let students watch and learn
Each word and thought will parry, thrust
and give strength in return

When adepts interact
they first will seek a strange rapport
And some will see the duel
and mistake it for a war

A master knows a master
for the cream has its own code
And language is the means
by which their greatness is bestowed

There is no quest for dominance
and neither fears defeat
It’s iron sharpening iron
every time that masters meet!

Lets Do Some Self-Evaluation

Another day is with us and I want us to do self-evaluation. During a recent interview I was asked what has been the greatest milestone and accomplishment in my life. Sure, this can also mean the greatest milestone and accomplishment at your workplace, in your marriage or any relationship. I replied honestly that "the greatest milestone and accomplishment was actually the departure from accusing others for problems in my life to accepting responsibilities for my inaction, indecision and lack of awareness. Everything else since that departure has been "very creamy and gravy" As Ronnie Millsap sung, "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For the World!"  I feel the same way! Lets take that decision and witness to ourselves the joy in your change. At first you may doubt yourself with "if" But over time, that "if" will go away.

Gravy and Creamy

What if things never get better?
What if my life stays the same?
What if each day despite effort and pain
its the same game, the same game, the same game?

Well, I promised myself I'd make changes
for that fear was what haunted my mind
So I searched high and low for a means to escape
to find sustenance of a rare kind

Next I harnessed my passion as fuel
called my talents and training to bear
Changed my thoughts and self image to build courage for leaving
with others whose vision I share

I soon found a huge door left wide open
with the promise of freedom beyond
So I cut loose and bolted with no second thoughts
before fear, friends or fame could respond

My commitment was never in question
"forward ever" this mantra of mine
My return on this path was just never an option
so success was a matter of time

And I weathered all life could throw at me
found the lessons in all I endured
Never once felt regret for deciding to try
never once let my dreams get obscured

When you honor the strength of commitment
to embark on the life of your dream
You'll find one day of freedom's worth ninety-nine bound
each day after is just gravy and cream

 

 

 

 

It’s Time for New Beginning

Many of us are in bondage within ourselves but we don’t know it. What could you accomplish once free of the ropes of resentment, the bondage of blame, and the fetters of fear? There's freedom in forgiveness of a nature you can't know, until you take the time to cut the chains and just let go.

A time for new beginnings

From baby years to present fears
let sinners be redeemed
Then lucky eyes will see
that things aren't always as they seemed

A cosmic shift, a needed gift
when all the stars align
And clouds reveal the long lost sun
that's been there all the time

Forgiven past, a brand new cast
your lesson is at hand
But dwellers in denial
miss their chance to understand

Embrace the new, a different view
let go of blame and shame
It's time for new beginnings
seek your glory stake your claim!

 

 

 

Try Peeling the Onion

Supposing it were the nature of God (or whoever you conceive it to be) to allow us to see the miracle growth of a single flower, from seed to its budding and flowering, our whole approach to life would change. Today I want to caption our dialogue, peeling The Onion. I love seeing my Grandma in the kitchen peeling the onion and this reminds me of human life in general.

Human psyche, like the onion is almost infinitely complex, made up of layers upon layers of thoughts, experiences, emotions, fears, loves, and goals. Those who seek to find the true essence of their being or to move past a fear find that there are many intermediate steps along the way. When we first look inward, we look at ourselves as a whole, when in fact we are only seeing the surface. Like an onion, if we move past the surface, we will find another layer. Moving past that, we find yet another layer. These layers are barriers and everyone has them. You may work past one fear only to be confronted with a deeper, underlying fear. Or you may fully assimilate a revelation about a friend, someone you care about only to find other aspects of that revelation that you had not discovered. How many layers you will confront before finding a resolution is unknown. This is the journey, this is life. Whether you are in love, in the academia or what, it is true to life.

But the journey to the center of the onion—what life is all about--can be an enlightening experience in and of itself. As you break through each barrier in life, you gain a more profound understanding of your own mind and come to learn the unique facets that make up who you are. You will become intimately acquainted with your needs and wants, reactions, aversions, pleasures, and pains in order to achieve your goals. Through that you will discover qualities within you that have been buried by the years or by old hurts. This knowledge is cumulative. As you break through one barrier and confront the next, oftentimes more powerful, barrier, you will be equipped with the knowledge of self mastery that you have gained during your searching.

During the "peeling of the onion," you may feel frustrated because it can seem like progress is slow or nonexistent. But don't let the multitude of layers bother you. Many of the qualities that make us who we are may be hidden at first. The process can continue indefinitely, for with self-discovery comes growth and thus further discovery. The more you learn, the more you will inevitably find, as you travel deeper and deeper within your soul. And remember, be bold, firm, resolute and weather every pattern of challenges. Just be the master of your fate and the captain of your soul.

Weather Patterns

Folks will flake and flakes will fall
there's nothing you can do
People post their patterns for you
often in plain view

The chance of showers now
as in the past is much the same
Get caught out in the downpour
and you've no one else to blame

Decide to weather patterns
unprepared and you might lose
But heed the telling forecast
and my friend, you'll never lose!

 

 

 

The Art of Transformation

Today, I want us to think about certain situations in life. For example, if you're not happy with the way things are in your life, what do you do? I think you MUST take some sort of step in the direction of transformation.

The key, however, is not to see the loss of money, relationships or power as a MAD venture, for you to relapse into certain habits (that can be related to as insane) as an indication that the path chosen doesn't work. Remember, the path is not what's on trial, here. For every path will have challenges. Every path will have risks. What's being tested is you and your ability to rise above those challenges, and act despite those risks, and to learn from the consequences of those choices and actions, and MOVE FORWARD afterwards. As I've said before, this whole game of life is a game called "believe" and the act of changing a belief system you've had all your life can be a long journey. But then, the beauty in transforming your life (either from it was to what you want it to be or what your enemies thought it should be to what God wants it to be for you) is like beauty of the painting on a wall that endears itself to the heart and soul of people from all walks of life. Achieving your dreams can become profoundly great when you master the art of transformation, past the borders of your present beliefs.

There are steps to making this transformation a reality. First find some friends to feed you with hope (most men are stuck on "nay"). But be careful whom you chose as friends. There are masses that dine on curdled dreams. Feast not from their buffet. Then find a path to venture on. Test the path too for most paths will do. The trick is to commit to walk despite what you go through. In all, do not accept friends who would like to ride with you in the limousine but can’t walk with you for the rest of the journey when the limousine breaks down.

The Art of Transformation at the Borders of Belief

You promised yourself better, yes?
and talked a real good game
But all these years have come and gone
and things still stay the same

You've dilled with the victims
And you've dilled while you yearn
You've journeyed to the border
just to gaze, sigh and return

Perhaps today's the day you'll cross
And leave this phase behind
So heed these words for travelers
to foreign states of mind

First find some friends to feed you hope
(most men are stuck on "nay")
The masses dine on curdled dreams
feast not from their buffet

Then find a path to venture forth
most any path will do
The trick is to commit to walk
despite what you go through

Embarrassment will come to pass
and risk is how we grow
Regret's a dish best left un-served
and wow will follow woe

One day you'll find the beauty
that exists beyond the grief:
The art of transformation
past the borders of belief

 

 

 

After Thousand Years of Drought

You’ve heard it said that, “Where there is a way, there is hope.” I know it's been a long time since you have kept hope by your side.  But are you sure you dug deep enough with hope in your loins? Keep hoping and take the time to prepare yourself for the bounty that will soon be yours. Never be frustrated by what someone said that, “Things that come to those who wait may be things left by those who got there first.” Have you forgotten what my Grandma said, “He who laughs last, laughs best”? Please, your river cometh soon. Good things come to them that trust, wait and hope and dig deep while you wait. Soon your river of good tiding will be cutting through the earth and rushing towards you.

 Dig Deep While You Wait

It seemed close to forever
since some water touched these lips
No way or well I'd found to drink
despite a thousand trips

I saw oases all around
illusions in the air
And rushed headlong in frantic bliss
to grasp at things not there

In sheer and utter hopelessness
I stopped to dig a pit
To bury my frustrations
and to bury me in it

Then rumbles in the distance
caught my ear, I turned to see
A river cutting through the earth
and rushing towards ME!

The once-parched ground steamed hot with hope
and belched a thousand sighs
It filled the pit I'd dug around me
right before my eyes!

I splashed and drank and waded
ever curious as I basked
"Why river, did it take so long
to find me?" soon I asked

"For years I've tried," the river said,
"to reach you in your drought,
At times I almost did
but you were running all about!"

So next time that you seek, friend
curse not others or your fate
Just stop a while and use the time
to dig deep while you wait

 

 

 

What Is the License to Happiness

While driving home late last night I noticed a fellow driver's personalized license plate that read LVB4UDIE. Interestingly, my friend interpreted it as "love" before you die. I thought the owner intended it as "live" before you die. In the final analysis, however, it probably doesn't matter since I suggest to you today that doing one is the only way to do the other. In other words, the only way to truly live, and elevate the soul beyond the vibrations of it's mortal confines, is to engage in activities that feed it and help it grow--namely love. So make it your mission to find someone to love. It might be a child, a parent, a partner. Love, and the ability to love that often follows forgiveness can be the thing that makes our present moment experiences worth all the pain and suffering we may have ever experienced. (And, as Marianne Williamson said in her book Return To Love, "We are not held back by the love we didn't receive in the past, but by the love we're not extending in the present.")

LVB4UDIE

Let's start off with the answer
so at least we'll both be clear
There's got to be a purpose, friend
a reason we're all here

It's more than just survival
that's too basic, all agreed?
For once you've got that covered
there's a soul still left to feed

So what shall be your mission
so you'll say you've truly lived?
How best to capture grains of time
that pass right through life's sieve?

To me the answer's easy
for just few things really matter
And given choice of shape or soul
I'd have to choose the latter

See, cash alone won't cut it
but you'd best not do without
And power can move mountains
but it's not what life's about

And freedom's good for getting
but no fun if it's just you
You'll need others to share
So serving others ranks high too

But one thing reigns supreme
and trumps all others on this quest
The act of giving love
is what shall make our life its best

For fleeting are the trappings
and with shells shall pass away
But spirit grows eternal
be the love we share today

For by our true and present love
our pasts we nullify
The only way to live, therefore
is love before you die

 

 

 

What Is Your Fear About

Fear (fear of failure or perhaps fear of success) has been such a paralyzing factor in everybody's life and so we have to commit ourselves to change and overcome that challenge. We all have fears now and then, here-and-there. There are two passions that I have been drawn to pursue and I have been blessed with souls who have dedicated love and time to my efforts. The first is my love of poetry and my strong desire to use my poems to help people feel good about the lives we live. In the quest of celebrating life in my own way, I seek the wisdom of others, through poetry and through other artistic expressions...which led to the creation of this Friday Inspirations. In this pursuit, I've found that sometimes my role is quite simply to show up to let others know I too, I am human, I leapt, I lost, then licked it, woke up, jumped up and I lived to tell the tale of how I emerged victorious even when my head was bloody but unbowed. It's the little push I give to serve as inspiration to get others rolling again.

 An Easy Roll

 Sometimes when you're lost
and you start giving in to fear
All you really need to know
is yes, the road's still there

Sometimes when the engine's on
but wheels just don’t seem to spin
A touch is all it takes
to free you from the mess you're in

Sometimes when your vision's blocked
beyond the crests and turns
Reminders of your goal appear
and clarity returns

Yes, sometimes on this road called life
the easy role you play
Is giving hope by meeting
those who've yet to make their way

Just knowing those who traveled
who're alive to tell the tale
Makes possible the dream
you too can prosper and prevail!

 

 

Treasure Your Heritage or Where You Come From

Is the grass always greener on the other side? Have you ever thought so? I have. I don't know why, I feel that way anytime I hear of a new job, when a new location/residential area is mentioned to me, or a new friend comes my way. I feel like something is missing from my old life and I yearn for the new, and I don't know why I feel that grass is greener at that side. What I do know actually is, it's going to be some sort of greater purpose or career, job or love satisfaction. I then recline into a dream, looking forward to the lawyer lifestyle. I want to feel like I'm working towards some greater goal than just working at some chichi private firm. This is the feeling that takes me over, when I first heard about America when I was in Ghana.

HOME AGAIN

we venture out of our birthplace,
when we feel we hit the dead end
we wave goodbye to our loved ones
and try to forget some we loved

away from home we celebrate all that’s new
but the surprise is the shock and hurt in the new
deep in tears we hear a voice from our past
memories of home come flooding back

soon we tend to forget the new
and wish to go back home again
back at home we realize the past is dead,
we have been away for far too long