“Velvet on My Svelte One”

Svelte is my sweetie,
Adorned in her velvet robe of virtue;
Queen of my tenderness.

By dreaming and loving,
I have watched her loneliness
Feed on my yearning presence.

By daydreaming of love,
We have watered little, the
Embers that quicken our tender flame.

Of deluge or dehisces,
In cumulus forms of love cure;
Ecstasy in two skins of fire, to tango.

Mellow in shy lights, she
Dispels my fear of self-denial;
Reassurance and comfort in her modesty.

Svelte is my sweetie,
In her velvet robe of virtue,
She piques my utmost craves.

©Uche (2006)

“Truth and Consequences”

Things would not have been so bad
If we had the things we never had
From the cradle to the grave
Yet, some of those we had, away we gave.
Still from the cradle to the grave, we crave.

Life would be an incomplete picture
If we could take away time and virtue;
And, the truth always hurts like a bad tooth,
This is of little essence when it must have to be told.

Freedom is right here, right there and over there at your feet
But it remains far from those who forever sit on the fence;
And in the midst of all education and religion of sorts,
Wisdom from truth is still very murky
And unclear, therefore yields no better fruit.

Yet, shall the Judge of the earth not do right?
When we imprison the truth
In the hearts of the sons of this earth.
Afraid to take offence,
Or have a chance to face
The truth and its consequences?

©Uche (2002)

“The Water’s Edge”

We fell on our faces under love’s burden;
These angels heard us cry, and
With outstretched hands became our friends.
As lush and rich as green foliage in the sun
May your dew remain fresh for every morn’,
Living love in a life that ends.
And when you may have grief to tend,
We want to be the strong and caring ones
To bear fruits of the blessed seeds you’ve sown
Until life’s troubles pass and sorrows end.
In soul and spirit you are so beautiful
That you bring comfort to all you’re near:
Our pains soothed we remain thankful,
For in you we have learned a gift so dear.
The Lord make you boundless as the sea.
As your seeds become trees along your water’s edge,
They shall bear fruit each season without fail.
Living love in a life that never ends,
Clara and Cresta: these angels make paradise prevail.

©Uche (2004)

A Symptom of Our Mutual Need

Now I feel like one in darkness
Waiting for necessary light
To form an expression of my existence
Or as the sea reaches out for the rocks on the seashore
To bring forth splashes of water…

I am that courageous drop of rain
That dares to fall all the way from the heavens
Until absorbed by the earth
Or scattered by some resisting surface…

I am the other stone
You need to strike
To spark a fire
And if you do not believe me then tell me why I feel
Like I do when I am left alone without you…

Why does it take an ear for a mouth to be heard?
And why does it take just a glance to spot a dear friend in a crowd?

A square peg may never fit in a round hole
And a push becomes a pull on the other side
Now I feel like an action waiting for a reaction to occur
Can two walk together except they agree?
And how can I ever be effective without a cause?
Of course, my changes might just be a reflection of you
In our mutual need for existence…

©Uche (2003)

Love’s Undertone

It is a time for quiet.
We behold a landscape in the horizon;
Grey silhouettes against grey skies.
Something in us looks forward to the testing that is to come.
The sea rolls and moans from the seven corners of the earth,
As the forces of life concentrate their energies
Not on display but on survival.

In the beauty of the harmattan sunset,
We could have walked on forever
Through the cacophony of whispers
From the faded leaves of the old trees of our traditions.
Yet, undistorted is this metaphoric symphony
Of life’s oldest tune, beating on the eardrums of our hearts and souls.

The time has come to face the truth,
For we can no longer deny the seasons,
Even as we try to amputate the hands of time.

Why do the birds of the air commune with subdued voices,
As the muted cries of the fish fill the sea?
And why does it take two of a kind o produce another?
Maybe someday, when we get to the depth of the sea
Whose tune our rivers echo incessantly;
The answers shall restore the sublime glory of the earth.

©Uche (2003)

Great Arm of Grace

In apologies, just how much price can we pay
For being who we are and in truthful acceptance?
If I could, I would have to understand
The reason for my heart’s pain.
The future I sought is here and now;
Together we may walk but I shall lead
Rather than be led by her.

Why must we contend always like this,
About this our one salvation?
What has become of this truth which is so paramount?
The power in one sacrifice for our humanity:
I saw it on the blood on that cross and beyond
And my whole life got changed,
Such that deep in my heart I can fly like an eagle.

You can take a piece of me whenever you need,
For the things you think you have
Are really for someone else;
But until they understand,
Their flame will insidiously devour
Their peace, piece by piece.

If we search our minds a little more, maybe
We might just reconcile the reason why
There seems to be no way out of our present corners.
Yet, here we are, separated from the water’s edge
Where the green foliage is always lush for all seasons
And all the plants growing there have their branches
Become like strong arms of authority.
Where love becomes the elixir that heals every pain
Searing apart every gloom on our way…

Give all your strength ‘cos I’ll give mine too,
To get back to where we came from.
Let us sing a little louder the songs of hope
And in faith we receive great promises!
©Uche (2003)

Everwantin’ not to stop

In the inner most recess of my soul,
I perceive You once again in a fresh encounter;
The utmost joy of my soul is in You,
That takes away all my pain and fears
And then I shall begin to sing once more a joyful song
Because You give a sweet melody to my heart
I will shout and rejoice with a loud voice.

In the morning time when I wake up
You are the bright sunshine that refreshes my spirit;
Now I'm drown deep in the river of Your love
Oh my King, how my heart overflows with Your river of joy;
Flowing with grace and mercy
As You overwhelm me with an out pouring of Your Spirit.
Even in my darkest moments,
I will praise You and never want to stop.

Twilight becomes so beautiful
When the sun is setting and the moon begins to glow,
And that is Your awesome glory in full splendor
Yes I adore You;
And then I feel that my heart might more than beat
Just to praise Your majesty.

And as the stars start to twinkle in the night sky
Each of those beautiful twinkles speaks,
Of Your glorious presence in all Your creation.
It makes me want to raise my voice
And praise Your holy name
And I'll never want to stop
'Til even the police come knocking at my door.

©Uche (2002)

Chances Are

Embattled by the choices I make everyday,
Oppositions and confrontations may bloom in my way;
The building blocks of confusion, anarchy and doom…

Where then is my sword?
That two edged sword which
Slices through even the hardest granite.
Chances are,
That I may have left the sword in my sheath.
Yet, proceed I for war?

The battle line is drawn.
Why does peace follow the wake of bloodshed?
T’must be the same reason that every dark night
Always leads to a fresh morn.’
Choices maybe tough, but the truth is sure.

©Uche (2002)

“A Truthful Expression”

If you choose to refuse truth
Truth shall refuse to free you
From these same shackles that have been
And is, will always choose to stay,

But not in the presence of truth
For that which is, has already been
And what is to be, has already been
And God requires an account of every passing time…

For truth has been a healer
And truth has hurt a man like a bad tooth,
Truth has been compassionate
Yet, has been passionately hated, misused and abused

I have seen the truth crush a man’s heart to pieces
And throw him in jail
Yet, only the truth shall set a man free…

Draw near your ears Oh! Youthful fellow
Before you eat up the bread of sorrow
Let no guilt rest upon your conscience
And for truth, do not lose patience

For mercy and truth shall preserve the king
And the splendour of old men is their grey hair
The silver-haired head is a crown of glory
If found in the way of truth and righteousness.

©Uche (2002)

A Chance for Those Who Care

Can we love better everyday?
As if we plan to live forever.
Let us relate with people, integrated,
And in the grace of the Most High
We step out of our past fate,
That He may take us through our future gates.

If we could just get addicted to trust and forgiveness,
Because everything in life is beautiful;
And even the most beautiful things in life are just like that.
The way we need each other
Might just be a symptom of our mutual need for existence,
Or perhaps better secure with God at the head.

We take a chance and live beyond the means of yesterday,
And even the many troubles of today
As we step out into the visions of our tomorrow’s existence;
And in likewise position we can trust,
Giving every account of our faith
As we sojourn this mundane and crooked earth.

In our daily travails, may be a need to stop
Moreover, listen, or even stare, long enough perhaps,
To see those opportunities with forlorn hope
Staring back in our faces;
A chance to show the world we really care.

©Uche (2002)

Freedom Village

In metamorphosis, the wheel of time
Has cycled from stone to steel, a craft of mighty hands;
Indeed, an antitype of a progression so divine.
The strength of the powerlessness of man is
A bit of consciousness and agreement entwined.

The church is the people
The power of the age to come
An urge to commit; even extempore,
Acutely perceptive to kingdom purpose.
The apple of the eyes of God.

A testament of locked up accounts,
Now, thoroughly unlocked by a surmounting
And compassionate scarlet thread of redemption.
With outstretched hands, having waited so long
Yet, still waiting for hearts that will hunger on.

The spirit diet has become unpalatable
In a season of apostasy,
But is there any people asking why?
A rhetorical question, the answer of which
Shall lie only in the hearts of the ones who yearn.

Go forth and hear the Rhema
And how it lights up the Logos
On the roadmap of our life’s journey,
The blueprint is diplexing on a frequency
Of elevated encounters in the Spirit,
Repositioning the House of God
Onto a bold territory of influence.
What are you doing here? Which land do you possess?
For the unfolding of His manifold strength
Abounds where wisdom, faith and love excels.

Yes, our Father has left a will for His House,
And year after year,
Soon, following after the wilderness bouts;
Season after season, the judge announces:
“It is time to flourish in your bounty.”

On the threshold of a new earth
We receive strength,
In the fullness of the Godhead; Kabod.
Celebrating love in all the earth’s abode,
For in mercy the kingdom is restored.

Of the truth who can forestall,
The weighty price since the blood of Abel,
Every of those who have the foretaste
Of Glory divine are a distaste to the world,
They pay for their truly confessed label.

“Wide is the way,” the people say.
These sons of the earth,
That think a repentant plea
Is a narrow minded prayer.
Lord, please tell us, how narrow is your way?

On the way to freedom village,
Bearing our crosses, we have trudged on for many days,
And washing the feet of this weary earth,
‘Til even the blackness of our heart’s skins radiate
The rays of His eternal love; 
Through Him we shall come of age.
Immanuel, receive all glory and praise!

©Uche (2002)

Covenant Child

Confusing as this may seem
My whole life has been rectified in Him
Who lives in me.

The electrifying lifestyle of passionate cravings
In unwholesome carnal endeavours;
Every moment spent searching
Yet, undisclosed but still searching…

Neither the deep waters could consume me,
Nor the scorching heat of the wilderness
Fry my soul on the pan of unwisdom.

Arise Oh Jah!
And let your enemies be doomed,
For your word alights the heart of the simple.

The many misdemeanours of mankind,
And my quest to stray from your very sight
Could never misrepresent your love

Woe! To them that miseducate me,
Those that launch the innocent
Into a landscape of misunderstood identities.

You who made me in your very image and likeness,
Let your loving kindness keep me
In the place of your covenant.
Let your kingdom come!

©Uche (2002)

Unchained

Earth-bound, at ease
Is a presage of the rites of perdition.
A rich life, earthen and lush,
Relish and guard your heart son.

The heart is what you make it;
Like the hurricane that snatches the Baobab tree
Off the Kalahari, and casts her
Swiftly into the mighty raging sea.

There is a silent prowler
Upon this alien planet of life;
But I am the light-headed eaglet
Who takes a chance on love flight,
I am a survivor; I chose to thrive.

The cosmic wisdom of the Rock of Ages
Cannot be outlived
Even by eons of time in swift passage.

And the message is plain for all to see
Yet, we have lied to ourselves all along.
Until the Rock shattered my shell of containment;
I toast to the Superlative One.

Because He succumbed to no wretched beast
A broken recumbent self – I.
Severed and set free
From the umbilical cord of powerless heritage.
I wept.
My seasons changed,
Strong gusts of wind
Now possess the strength of the soaring eagle…

Spirit-bound;
Water and fire are life elements.
And this tongue of flame powers my heart’s dream,
Kindled gently in love realm.

Papa, I hear your small voice in the depth of my spirit,
Telling me to keep dying for my love of life.

Now I see an empty cross as I journey
In a life beyond earthly comparison.
In the three dimension of truth, believe;
Therefore I receive the gumption to behold
The treasures of the King’s promises.

©Uche (2002)

To the Ones I Love

Here and now,
I let your atmosphere
Suffuse my reality,
And I delight in the
Sublime expression
Of the very essence
Of our mutual need…

©Uche (2002)

INTRODUCTION

From the day I was born, I have experienced a myriad of emotions such as love, pain, joy, anger, peacefulness, despair, hope and fear. These feelings collectively influence man’s very existence throughout life. I see poetry as an excellent way to express them fully.

The poetry in this book has been structured as contemporary verses to reflect in poetic form the beauty of the variety of my life’s experiences. They have been written to touch every corner of the human soul and sensibilities. My prayer is that these honest expressions of feelings will draw you, the reader, closer to the God who made you, in a fresh and exciting new experience of poetry.