Friday, September 5, 2008

A Cry For These Haunted Ones


Earth wonder’s beneath the night sky.
An exegesis she succumbs to
Cracks the shell of her conscience.

There is a whirling of inchoate obsessions
At earth’s loss; distraught
Without reason,
Shriveling the womb of human enterprise.

Cold night, alone;
In this silence the best noise is heard.
Before I wept.

Vermin at arm’s length nowadays
Cast a shadow of faceless hands, outstretched
To redeem their lust offering.
Unsexed and drenched in the heat of retribution,
The gunmen now bare their fangs at every corner.

I trust that this stillbirth of eternal human lesson
Keeps a contrary pace with the wisdom of the Ancient of Days.
Thus provoked, flesh hunger for more flesh
With very little time to spare;
Thus, confining the fat breasted Love in little cans of unwisdom…

And a host of other things
Including my uniformed friends
With a history of training sessions;
Has wanton corruption brought more guns to bear
On the humble bus driver?

As we continue to refuse by choice
To be what we all ought to be,
Truth is served on a plate of strong iron
Then that mouth-watering diet of lies in elegant casserole.

…The devouring flesh of a wanton polity
Deliberately feeds on the latter, nourishing their pride
As they are rocked to sleep in Ekwensu’s chair…

Death begets a quiver full of deaths
In dearth of the great Spirit;
Who dares propel His earthen vessels toward life’s purpose?

Necessity invents that we must hunger
In one accord for that light which shines
(With healing in its rays),
The most in these dark and darker times.

©Uche (2008)

Thursday, September 4, 2008

“Sunflower”


See how cheerfully you smile in gold yellow,
Unkenneling your ability to represent my sun.
Now, having taught my sunshine to mellow,
Friend of mine, you have become without a thorn.
Let your fragrant oil soothe my heart’s ache,
On the day, your bloom devours my life’s burden.
Why does your golden tear drop at dawn when I awake?
Exalt the hands that planted you in my heart’s garden.
Radiant bloom of beauty! How you blossom in life’s meadows.

©Uche (2008)

“Papa”


Oh, the joys
The pain
The cane that moulded me
The hands that held me
The strong words that taught me
And those toys you bought for me

Oh, the joys
The cares
Through my school-boy years
All for me your tears
Washed my future fears
In my heart your love remains dear

O! Papa
Your love is yoked to my soul
Through my days, in candour
You dwell secure in my heart’s parlour
I carry you wherever I sojourn
You have become my integrity and great honour.

©Uche (2008)

“Mama”


You held me in your arms
And I was a painter
You carried me in your bosom
And made me a star
Your tender words to your child
Shaped my poet’s mind
At birth, you stole my heart
Oh, how I need now your sweet breast
For they nourish my soul
With milk for my life’s nurture
What you placed in me, mama
With your corrective touch
Shall never die through my days
That is why I carry you wherever I go
I could never let you down
I seek to build a fortune
Of love everlasting between you and me
Your love is a carriage to my soul
Through my days
You dwell secure in my heart
Take these hands of mine
And shed no tears,
For a blessed woman indeed you are.

©Uche (2008)