Category: Challenges

Rononvan's Weekly Haiku Challenge

Dazzling and Scorching – Ronovan writes weekly haiku challenge

jacquelineobyikocha8 Comments

Sun[1]

You are certainly moving with the times Ronovan by giving us a prompt ‘Dazzle & Sky’ that aptly matches the blazing Sun that comes out so early these days and the heat is not mild by any means. The photo I used for the prompt was taken this morning around 5.00 a.m. when I woke up.

Recently, as early as 4:30 a.m.

the Sun rises, rays dazzle and glow

in the Middle-Eastern sky.

 😎😎

It’s brilliance warms you up

if you can catch an early walk

under the dazzling clear sky

♨♨

When you miss the hour

that the Sun gently embraces the sky

you’ll face dazzling, scorching heat.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

 Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

 

Wonderful, evocative poetry by a talented writer. Left me hungry for more. Jacqueline can write! Linda Bethea

Out of the silent breath

If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee😉

Uncategorized · Writer's Quote Wednesday · Writing

Just hold on – Writers quote Wednesday challenge.

jacquelineobyikocha17 Comments

Love[1]

I believe and have faith in love
for in it lies immeasurable strength
Even on day’s when my faith in humanity
diminishes to micro pieces
that it won’t even match a mustard seed
On such days, I look up to the heavens
and facing the sky
I let the shadows fall behind.

There are moments when faith
is all that have
to propel me forward and hold me upright
On such days, I clasp my thin flicker of faith
like a loving companion and cloak
and allow its strength to seep into me
till my hope rises again.

There are moments
when the future might look bleak to us
when so much seems to be going wrong
in such moments
we turn to faith in hope
that the future will look brighter
if only we can hold on.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns – Anne Lamott

Faith does not make things easy, but makes them possible – Luke 1:37

Writing this week’s prompt ‘Faith’ for WQWWC after days of minds battered with all that’s happening around us is a welcome reprieve even though it’s a hard topic. A hard topic to write on when it’s seems as though the World is momentarily going berserk and my faith in humanity dwindles.

Then again, if we completely lose our faith, then all hope is truly lost and we’ll find ourselves living in a World that’s not only pessimistic and negative, but will become a highly toxic World.

So, I’ll hold onto my flicker of faith that love will always win and my faith comes from above.

P.S: You can join our online party this weekend. It’s always a good time:-)

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

“Beautiful Poetry of Life and Love.” Amanda

Out of the silent breath

If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee😉

Rononvan's Weekly Haiku Challenge

Summer cheer, Yes! – Ronovan writes weekly haiku challenge.

jacquelineobyikocha12 Comments

Ronovan, thank you for this week’s prompt ‘Summer and fun.’ You are totally in tune with my state of mind.

lazy_mornings[1]

At last Summer fun loading

the children will vacate in two days.

Yes! Lazy mornings are here

ℵℵ

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

P.S: You can join our online party this weekend. It’s always a good time:-)

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

 

“Beautiful Poetry of Life and Love.” Amanda

Out of the silent breath

If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee😉

Stream of Consciousness Saturday.

Drinking English Tea…A little rant of streams of consciousness Saturday.

jacquelineobyikocha45 Comments

Drinking my coffee yesterday morning while listening to CNN on referendum matters of BREXIT, I literally swallowed wrongly and almost choked on it when I learnt that UK voted out.SoCS badge 2015

OUT! I squeaked to my Dear Himself, who was equally not amused that he left his drink and it grew cold. They have broken my romantic European values and hurt my feelings 😞

I felt compelled at that point to put the kettle back on and fix a cup of Earl Grey or some English breakfast tea to drink – what that would accomplish, I couldn’t ascertain, but I was certainly upset even though I am not British.

Well, I guess a lot of British folks are keeping a stiff upper lip and drinking lots of cups of tea at the moment, since the belief that a good cuppa tea can soothe frayed nerves. Let’s hope so.

Have a great weekend folks. Fix yourself something warm or cold to drink and no more exits please.

P.S. Linda always seems to know where my thoughts are and gives just the right prompt like today’s word ‘drink‘ to get me brewing and spewing.

Jacqueline

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

I absolutely love this book of poems. My favorites are “Love Rations” (for those who love to give the silent treatment) and “Beggars Supper” (which definitely pulls at the heart strings). Two thumbs up!!

Out of the silent breath

Writer's Quote Wednesday

See!… Writers Quote Wednesday Writing Challenge

jacquelineobyikocha12 Comments

Card_with_love[1]

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions. Dalai Lama

Cover your eyes and touch me
with the sight of your heart,

cover your eyes and caress me
with the fingers of your soul,

cover your eyes and hear me
through the pulse of your being,

for when you look with eyes jaundiced and jaded
with cynicism and age worn perceptions,

you can only see what your physical eyes permit
and miss seeing the finer qualities of me,

for when you look
through the sight of your heart,

and when you hear
through the ears of your soul,

you are happier
and you are free,

for you’ll find that I am you
and you are me,

and together
we are nature.

This week’s prompt for WQWWC ‘happiness‘ is a thought that has occupied my mind in a large way and I wrote an earlier post today focusing on happiness.

I’m also working on my inspirational book that centre’s on ‘happiness and you,’ which is a strong feature in our lives.

Our state of happiness comes from within. Material things may ease our daily living but it’s no guarantee of happiness or a good life.

When we are not at peace with ourselves, when we lack the love and care for others we can never truly be happy because our minds are burdened with negativity, with bias and limitations.

‘The depth of your happiness is the consequence of your own personal effort and it’s worth the relentless pursuit.’ Jacqueline

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

“Beautiful Poetry of Life and Love.” Amanda

Out of the silent breath

Rononvan's Weekly Haiku Challenge

Hip,hip,hurray…Ronovan writes weekly haiku challenge.

jacquelineobyikocha13 Comments

An apt prompt for this week ‘birth and cheer.’ It was Ronovan’s birthday yesterday, though because of the time difference between US and UAE, I don’t get to see the prompt until the following day because we are ahead by at least 9 hours or more depending on which state, so I’ll still say ‘Happy birthday, to you Ronovan.’

I also celebrate with a dear friend of mine who has tried for going on 17 years now to have a child. At long last they are blessed with two beautiful boys on Sunday 🙂

Let’s pop a bottle of fizzy drink,
to wish some birthday cheers
to Ronovan, our own charming Haiku General.

♥

To the cheer of her loved ones,
she gave birth to twins
after seventeen years of waiting and wanting.

***

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

 

‘A Richly Layered and Passionate Read.’ Jan Cliff

Out of the silent breath

Stream of Consciousness Saturday.

My thoughts of class, humans and photography…Streams of consciousness Saturday.

jacquelineobyikocha10 Comments

Once I saw today’s prompt, my thoughts automatically went to societal distinction usually drawn by the word ‘class,’ but I chose to do a reverse of thoughts.SoCS badge 2015

Talking about privilege is a topic that I’ve never been particularly fond of because, instead of building bridges, it actually plants more wedges of division in the hearts and minds of those who are at the other end of the spectrum of the division of classes, so, let’s leave it alone for today.

…But, I can’t resist the question on my mind which is to wonder why mankind chooses to create this artificial forms of segregation that in all societies, you find an existence of class division even if the lines are faintly drawn?

In some societies, the class distinction is so obvious and becomes entrenched as the tradition that it perpetuates itself as a caste system whereby progenies of a line that falls within this caste system are almost condemned to the bottom of the echelon to almost dehumanising levels.

It’s a situation that showcases ‘man’s inhumanity to fellow man,’ because it’s artificially and deliberately orchestrated to demean the worth of certain class of men while uplifting the worth of another class.

I’ll just leave that thought at that. If I continue on this tangent, I’ll probably end up writing an epistle on class distinctions as we speak.

On the other hand, it’s been on my mind to attend professional photography weekend classes, but everything in this city costs a handsome packet.

I’ve been doing a bit of DIY but I would really like to take it a step forward and develop my skill which I believe will be worth the while and pay itself over time. Still searching for an effective but cheap class, who knows, I might dig up something affordable.

The beautiful thing about taking pictures is that photography doesn’t discriminate against humans. It sees no class, race or creed. It simply captures what you show it, freezes it in time for decades to come.

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

She is amazing at describing love and life in her poems. She creates such beautiful images with her words. Truly, she is a talented writer and I’m so excited to have her poetry book and to continue reading through it.

Out of the silent breath

Creative Writing · Fiction · Short Stories · Writer's Quote Wednesday

To become a fledgling…Writers quote Wednesday writing challenge.

jacquelineobyikocha6 Comments

“The phoenix must burn to emerge.” Janet Fitch

Masters body sat in the big black armchair frozen in time, but his thoughts were still razor sharp. He sat in his comatose state, waiting for the rebirth from his ancient self into a fledgling of a boy.

The pains that he had cruelly inflicted on others ripped through his veins with piercing intensity, that each drop of rebirth serum snarled at him, yelling in anger as it slowly trickled through veins that were on fire.

He was combusting from the heat that engulfed his being, but the voice of ‘She’ ignored his mindful pleas to be set free unchanged.

Her ethereal blue eyes held him calmly in place even as her thoughts loudly reverberated in his mind.

“You must be patient she said. For you can’t achieve that which you seek until you shed your ancient skin of cynicism and look with eyes reborn through the depths of your soul.”

The story above is in response to this week’s WQWWC’s prompt ‘rebirth.’ A word that I find interesting and personally inspiring.

It’s a word that tells me different things. It tells me that I have to let go of some old vision and allow my inner eye’s to be renewed with new sight.

It tells me that sometimes out of my own ashes, I can rise to find myself over and over again as long as I believe, for as long as I am breathing.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

From the very first poem, “Dreams,” this book captivates with passionate and perceptive words. Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha captures a broad expanse of the human experience in this book of richly layered poems.

Out of the silent breath

Rononvan's Weekly Haiku Challenge

Wind of life…Ronovan writes weekly haiku challenge.

jacquelineobyikocha12 Comments

I totally enjoyed this week’s haiku prompt ‘fresh wind’ from Ronovan, so I tried my hand on three 🙂

A fresh lick of paint
gave his jalopy
a new wind of life.

***

The fisherman’s lulling boat
needs fresh gusts of wind
to reach the shore.

***

ill wind blew out her candle
not giving up
she simply lit a fresh one.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

 

From the very first poem, “Dreams,” this book captivates with passionate and perceptive words. Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha captures a broad expanse of the human experience in this book of richly layered poems.

Out of the silent breath

Stream of Consciousness Saturday.

Is it too cumbersome to ask for more than crumbs?…

jacquelineobyikocha23 Comments

Mba! No! I have ambivalent feelings towards politicians and politics and refuse to be caught up in all the ambiguous promises that they make with excessive aplomb while in pursuance of their ambitions.SoCS badge 2015

Most times, I feel as though they simply sit in their big leather chairs, ensconced in their chambers where they think up how to ambush citizens with their assemblage of bombastic weapons of word contest, without concrete thoughts on how to achieve these promises and we are left bamboozled into an almost bemused or benumbed state that you begin to see grown men act like idiots.

The answers I would really like is a combination of disambiguated responses that will curb the constant combative state of today’s World that leaves us dumbfounded.

Is that such a cumbersome request? Are others not tired of the crumbs we get handed after they’ve assumed office and everything continues to remain in shambles? I am.

The prompt ‘mb’ that Linda chose to give us this weekend put me in an initial state of imbalance, but it gave me an opportunity to talk about some silent thoughts that have been going through my mind of late. I hope I did justice to her prompt 🙂

My Country of birth is in an economic and political quagmire at present and I recall all the sugar-coated promises made by the present government as they sought to unseat the incumbent President.

Not a single promise has been delivered to the citizenry and as a matter of fact, the State of the Nation is such to give someone sleepless nights and the senseless killings only got worse.

Quick glossary:

Mba – means ‘no’ in Igbo which is my native language.

 Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

She is amazing at describing love and life in her poems. She creates such beautiful images with her words. Truly, she is a talented writer and I’m so excited to have her poetry book and to continue reading through it.

Out of the silent breath