Thursday, 13 August 2020

You tried.

You sat and watched the dusk slip into darkness. This change reminded you of the past month. The spark and embers of affection had played games with you and defeated you. Before this heartbreaking play, you had thought if the effort was worth it. You dived in.
She had asked you for a visit to her place. You obliged, glad to leave your home for a long walk to freedom. What freedom? Your doctor had advised you three weeks ago to exercise yourself often. This is a chance!
You got there, initiated intimacy but she declined, putting it off till two days later. You went again but saw her being queried by her father for coming home later than usual. You could only pass by. A wasted walk, you thought to yourself. Again, you were there but had to stand in the street for an hour waiting for her. She had dragged you there with a promise to tell (or was it ask) you something. She only showed up to check something from your phone and disappeared again. You were again a disappointed lot.
She said she'd visit you some days before her birthday but there was no sign of her. She had gone elsewhere instead. No value, nor respect, you thought. You even half-heartedly believed her when she said so. You thought again, "Can this work? Let's see".
You kept visiting and waiting near her house. She would come later and disappear too soon. When she showed up, she would ask you to help and you would. You would ask her to help do some things but she would refuse, evading it instead. She was like another who you lived with, a sister to you, so she called herself. That 'sister' would not dare to delegate duties to a younger sister to you, but an elder to her. 'Sister' would call you to give her things and do other things for her. If you ignored that, you would be tagged a lazy, old-fashioned, copycat. It felt like an obligation which you must commit to. Then you thought again, "Am I useless truly?"
You thought again that it seemed your thoughts were becoming futile. There were the signals. You were her pawn, her handsome puppet and she, the chess player and puppeteer.
There was news of earthquake on the TV. You were worse off. You had instead a heart quake and ache. The tremor rang through the past into that moment. You became deeply sad. If she saw you then, she would say you were on another fit of mood swings. 
You decided you would stop chasing after them and see if they would turn back changed. You assured yourself of ignoring every negative comment about you. You knew this would work. How do you do this? You just have to try like you have tried to be vulnerable with them. Try!

Saturday, 25 July 2020

SPECIMENS OF/FOR CHANGE?

What's with the inconsistencies of life? How often have you wondered why the difference again? Do you also remember to wonder why not the difference? Do you also forget not to think about the boredom in sameness and repetition?

As learners of a language, especially the English language, we are often fazed with the changes that occur in it. We are disturbed by this current. We find it difficult to flow with the torrent of words we must get used to within a short time.

Is it about being fashionable and admired? We want to get it soon without a minute of thought whether it fits or not. Are we good enough to have it or should we hold on and watch others try it on?

Reflect on this: Are we just being humans or specimens of innovations? 

Now, this: What if I give myself a break from this push and rush? Can it wait?

Inconsistencies are sometimes good for the fun of it. What spoils the fun is if it becomes a habit. We may get to wonder about a difference but better to wonder when it strikes us positively; it should lead us to reflect. Similar things become boring with time. That is why we crave for newness. This makes us specimens of innovations. By this, I mean we are innovations ourselves but in small deposits that grow when fed rightly.

However, we all want change but we are almost always unprepared for it. What then do we want? We want change! But not in a rush! We want a gradual change!

I still wonder why we want a change that much. We grow with it. We do not grow fast though. We are incubating as we adjust to it.

Now, this question begs to be answered. Why do we sometimes want a fast-paced change? We might be unreasonable with that. We should know that we can all change but at different pace.

So, change! Change at a comfortable but commendable pace. Do not be lazy about change. However, change positively.

Dear reader, a death to another birth is sometimes desirable if we get better after the rebirth!

Saturday, 16 May 2020

A first fight...

Bade relaxed on his settee in the living room. He's trying to keep cool since this place seems well ventilated. The heat these days is becoming unbearable. It seems the radiation from all over the planet is directed at his bedroom, in fact every room sparing his much larger living room. 
Presently, he heard some voices threatening downstairs. He thought, They must have been well fed to still have the strength to shout this much. They're adding heat to this already inexhaustible one. What's their problem again?
The voices again, this time, louder. 
"He's my front tooth! You deal with him carefully! Don't uproot him from me!" cried the woman whose only son was beaten by a neighbour.
"Will your son go about destroying things and not be halted? He has been on this act for a while and I've remained mute. I can't anymore! Not anymore!" The response.
"What if he does that? Can't you report him to me or caution him severely?"
"I've had enough of that! It's time to deal with him and I'll go on!"
"Oh! You can't! Not when I'm around at least. Not even if I go out and am told at my return. You dare not!"
"Oh! You're just ranting! You can do nothing. I will give you more than your desire! You don't dare me."
"Dare you? Were it not for my hubby who's been holding me back, I would have shown you the lot I'm made of, you this useless woman!"
"It's you and your husband that are shameless together with your son! Shameless lot!"
"Slut? You called me slut? God punish you there!" She advanced, then stopped abruptly. Remembering something. Am I a slut? Why respond to her when I'm not one.
"I don't have time for your insults today. You know you can't handle me if I start wih you. You know how tough it was separating us the last time I fought your stupid friend here. Beware of my anger. Beware!" She warned frantically waving her index.
"Come closer and I'll give you fire for fire, bone to bone and flesh to flesh. We'll see who'll bend for who! Aw! Come!"
"Again? A whore? You dare call me a whore? I've had enough of you. I need to shut your trap!" She thundered towards her opponent and aimed at her head with her fists, but it was blocked. Another one from the left. Dodged. They embraced tightly. Struggling to break free and deal a deadly blow, they were already panting.
Bade seems to have been fully convinced that there's a fight, got up hastily from the chair, missed a step and staggered forward almost knocking his head on the centre table. Then, he sat again. He decided against going to check on the fighters. Let them fight on. I can't kill myself.

Wednesday, 29 April 2020

Guard of Honour

Many have defied running through this harmless gauntlet;
They fear the painless pain,
And reject the rewards of past pressures.

"To be guarded," advised the sages
"You must be guided by wits and whims."
For even the guards are guided by guilds.

This forced applause heralds the passage of champions
Who passed the test of the daunting task only
To be hailed by friends, frenemies and foes.

These are not like the jobless taskmasters;
Nor are they their ever-hungry lazy mouths.
No, they're hungry and thirsty for self-made wealth!

They're the never-fallen heroes of yesteryears
And the ever-present gems of our time
And the always reliable trustees of the future.

They're like us and they're we.
They were, we are and we both will be
If we remain one and undivided whole.

Let's separate in unity
And run through this deadly gauntlet
That we may walk through the guard of honour.

Friday, 24 April 2020

Thorny balls

Thorny balls

Have not you pricked enough sages and youths and juveniles?

Our doors are wounded by your pitiless poundings.
Now, they remain shut and we short of lives.

Your steps are on the road not taken
while our hands tread not the forbidden body parts.

We will not be weakened by your war-rockets
for our sockets will outlive your sights.

Deplaning

Deplaning

When shall we alight from this present bus?
We stare at the ceiling and count the times the fan blades whirr;
Waiting for the last call
To stop breathing...

No, we start breaking instead
under the weight of cries from gory scenes
acted by famished neighbours...

These beats remain unyielding, though flogged by fears and fate.
Our worms and the worms make calls and plan to connect soon
if we feed ours not.

When shall this army depart our defeated territories?
Is it when we light the Uhuru Torch by faith?

While we wait, I'll dance to the tune of 'e-go-better'
while we wait,...

Sunday, 6 October 2019

A Government Driver on his Retirement by Onu Chibuike

"A GOVERNMENT DRIVER ON HIS RETIREMENT"
by Onu Kingsley Chibuike

Many years on wheels
In faithful service to his fatherland
Today retires he home
And a celebration he holds

5. Many years has he pummeled his boozy throat
In obedience to duty rules and regulations
Today, he'll go home a Freeman
Eligible for his country's services

9. "Come, friends, rejoice with me
I shall booze and zoom myself home
Away from duty rules
Come celebrate my freedom"
"Early to duty tomorrow holds not,
Thirty-five years of faithful services
I'll booze to sleep away my sufferings
Today I've long waited for"

17. More joy to send him home.
A brand new car in his name
An appreciative symbol
For undented thirty-five years of service to
fatherland

21. "Come, friends and rejoice more,
Joy till no more joy to joy
Today frees and makes me a king
My patience rewarded".

25. And so, he boozed and boozed
Celebrating the celebration of his retirement
From faithful service to fatherland
He battled with his bottle booze

On his way home on wheels,
Booze boozed his vision and clear judgment
He boomed his brand new car
And it sent him home
Home to rest in peace.

(7 Stanzas; 33 lines.)