Category: Poetry/Poems

Life · Poetry/Poems · Writing · writing ideas

The Lady and the Map…an Ode

jacquelineobyikocha31 Comments

Living on purpose

Oh! There was an old map that the lady loved;
We used to be together, You and I;
Clutched every step of the way;
From East to West
From North to South
You and I; Map
Were inseparable!

Carefully plotted and stamped with anticipated goals;
Decorated with achievements and all the golden laurels;
At every mile and every inch of the way;
Map boasted of selfish individuality;
And screamed, Me, Me, Me!

The Map and Lady;
Grew very selfish in ambitions;
In a hasty bid to cover every milestone;
Lady forgot to tie her laces;
A trip, a fall and over the brimstone!

Scraped knees and a bleeding thumb;
Map got torn and was no longer perfect;
Lady sat in the puddle;
Wondering at the puzzle;
Then helping hand came to lift lady out of the muddle!

Bruised but not beaten;
Battered but not finished;
Lady said goodbye to old map;
Obtained a nicer map;
And sets-off on a happier journey!

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Rising after fallingIn fulfillment of Writing 201 Poetry – Day 5: Map, Ode, Metaphor

Life · Poetry/Poems · Social Issues · The Daily Post · writing ideas

The Face Of Evil..

jacquelineobyikocha29 Comments

In response to The Daily Post prompt Wicked Witch

Write about evil: how you understand it (or don’t), what you think it means, or a way it’s manifested, either in the world at large or in your life.

Love most important

Evil lies at every door!
Sneaky and eager to slip in,
When the door is left unlocked,
Evil slips in unwatched!

In each of us exists a Jekyll and Hyde,
Always a tussle between Good and Bad,
Who wins is left for you to say,
Because, indeed, evil lies at the door!

She doesn’t look like the wicked witch from East-wick,
Neither does she resemble the witch from Far East,
But resides in all those, with malevolent eyes,
Indeed, evil lies at the door!

She needs not have a hooked, pimply nose,
Nor cast spells over,
Pots of mumbo-jumbo,
A minutes delay, the spell is done,
Indeed, evil slips in through the door!

S/he comes well packaged in lovely gift wraps,
S/he comes sensuous, sleek with soft touch,
Glossy and sweet, like everything nice,
A little taste and then its doom,
Indeed, evil lies at the door!

S/he needs no crooked black hat,
Nor a black cat that spits with squinted eyes,
She needs no broom,
To get her vroom,
Yes indeed, evil lies at the door!

At the door of an unrepentant heart,
With no sense of remorse!
At the door of wicked pleasure,
From others pain and misery!
At the door of abuse, loneliness, violence and more,
Yes indeed, evil lies at the door!

Guard your hearts and minds!

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Love · Poetry/Poems · Writing

Imperfect Parts Of A Perfect Whole…

jacquelineobyikocha41 Comments

brightness

Dare we take a peek? I shudder;
I shudder, should we dare seek to see;
Beneath our pantomime parades;
What turbulence lies under the facades;
Can the glare of the twisted mess found beneath;

Can the parts all broken, cracked, jumbled, mangled and messed up beyond measure;
Ever fit, not to cause so much displeasure?
Facades that shimmers and glimmers like timeless diamonds;
Yet within their confined cupboards they fight and grapple with their demons;

Painful warts underneath, score my soul like those of a soiled dove;
dirty, filthy, unbecoming, unwholesome tiny cracks everywhere;
The freckles of imperfection marks me brutally;
I am covered in sinful spots and dots;
A sore sight to the sinless eyes;

But who are these sinless eyes? Where are they be to be found? I ask;
Shall we dare to take a peek to see;
There are no sinless between you and I;
All broken bits of imperfections we are;
But yet he says;

Come! I beseech you;
Come to me with all your freckles and all your warts!
Come to me with all your spots and all your dots!
Disgraced, Broken, Discarded, Cracked, Twisted, Warped,Mangled,
Hopeless, Desperate, Ashamed, Naked;

However spotty it might be!
Come!
For my perfection makes your imperfection whole!
Come!
For I came to set the captives free!

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Family · Life · Love · Personal story · Poetry/Poems · Writing

Ude-Aku…The tale of the wrinkled hands

jacquelineobyikocha62 Comments
Grandma dancing on the occasion of my traditional/customary marriage.
Grandma dancing on the occasion of my traditional/customary marriage.

I held your frail wrinkled hands in mine,
They were much smaller!
Now! You were old!
The skin of your hands had waxed, waned and tautened over decades;
Toughened by ages of farming and weeding, from lifting innumerable hot clay pots from the burning firewood, from bathing babies; lots and lots of babies.

I caressed them lightly; noting the veins that stood out more prominently; noting the traditionally placed tattoos and the story behind the tattoos;
Beautiful age worn hands that had nourished,
Beautiful wrinkled bejeweled fingers that lightly applied ”Ude-Aku” on my scalp whilst shaping my unruly hair into a bouffant style.

Those fingers were my preferred hair stylist because, you did not pull it tight like Mama Nkechi used to do whilst making the periwinkle hair-do for me.
Beautiful hands that left my little bum smarting from a well-deserved smack after a misbehaviour.

I beheld your face with my eyes. Your beautiful dark skinned face;
I looked! Looking and looking at every lovely lined feature of your face.
Knowing that it might probably be the last time that my eyes would behold your skin.
Your eyes had seen the Civil war, your eyes had looked life in the face, it was a map of times past, etched with love and pain, with joy and laughter, with fear and worry, with seeing things that I can barely imagine…
Your lovely wrinkled face, etched with very fine lines and tiny spots that had stolen in and taken bold space,
Your crown of whitened hair held in a little bun
Everything had grown smaller!
Your skin had shrunk and your capacious bosom which used to cradle my hair, had bowed to the caprices of gravity
You had aged!
I saw it coming! I knew that it would happen!
But I wasn’t prepared!
The pain still cut me deep!
I wasn’t prepared to stop looking at your age-wizened face!
And when you left, you left with the name!
Grandma, nobody ever calls me Nnedim or Ngozika again!
They were your special bequests to me.
You left with your skin all shriveled by death
And you took the lovely smell of Okwuma and Ude-Aku!

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Quick Glossary For Words in Native Igbo:

Nkechi:  A native Igbo name shortened from Nkechinyere which means “The one that God gave.”

Ngozikaego: A native Igbo name which means ”Blessings are far better than money” derivatives of the names are Ngozi, Ngozika, Kaego, Ego

Nnedim: meaning ”My husbands mother” this infers to the belief in reincarnation and grandma believed that I was her mother-in-law reincarnated..

Okwuma: Native ointment made from Shea Butter.

Ude-Aku: Local body cream made from oil extracted from roasted palm kernels.

In fulfillment of Writing 201 – Poetry Day 3: Skin. Prose Poem. Internal Rhyme.

Some of the hairstyles back then.
Some of the hairstyles back then.
Inspiration - Motivation · Love · Poetry/Poems

Your Love To Me….

jacquelineobyikocha58 Comments

Love birds

Y our tender gift of love to me makes my heart combust into heated waves;
O ver the years you unfurl and surprise me some more;
U ndaunted you give generously of yourself;
R egardless of how grumpy my own ways might be;

L et’s tie the knot my love, you said to me;
O ur love will endure till oceans dry out like deserts you assured;
V alidating your vows and promises to me;
E specially through the endless ebbs and tides of life;

T ender with tough tenacity, you have stood so strong;
Obinna!
M y one and only;
E nigmatic and excellent example of a gentlemanly husband!

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

In fulfillment of Writing 201 poetry – Day 2: Gift. Acrostic. Simile.

Image courtesy: Pinterest

Creative Writing · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Poetry/Poems · Weave that Dream

You Must Be Of Good Courage…

jacquelineobyikocha25 Comments

Walking by faith

Let me tell you something.

You may have heard this a countless times before.

Even so, I still cannot resist telling you just one more time.

Let not your heart fail you; nor your mind deny your strength,

For within you lies courage; just reach deep and it will show forth.

Let me tell you that the measure of your courage;

Is not determined by whether you reach the goal or not;

It is determined by your decision to get back on your feet;

No matter how many times your trials failed!

No one said that it will be easy!

But if you have the courage to remain steadfast;

But if you have the courage to pursue you dreams;

You will give your life its richest rewards;

You will give your life its greatest adventures;

The brightest adventures do not lie on the peaks of mountains!

The brightest adventures lie first within you..

You must be of good courage!

And rise again….even when you have fallen flat on your face!

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Job_22-21

Hope · Life · Poetry/Poems

How Do You Heal A Heartsick Heart?…….HELP me!

jacquelineobyikocha70 Comments

sad-black-woman

I know all that I want to say;

There are drafts, lots of them;

The words are not lacking at all;

The ideas are bounteous and overflowing;

Yet I have no words to say anything;

Because I am heartsick!

How do you heal a sick heart?

How do I get my happy again?

I know the words in my treasured Bible;

I know that they comfort me;

I ask for a silver lining in this dark cloud;

But I see nothing; not yet at least;

Is it under my bed?

Maybe I should take a look!

Is it in a bottle?

I have no head for such!

Is it in prayers?

A heavy heart, all I do is sigh!

In the pages of a book?

My drifting mind goes here and there!

Where is it?

But still my heart sickens within me;

I feel empty like a hollow drum;

And I hate to feel this way;

Or to have a pity party;

It is said that time heals;

I think time just covers the sores;

Of oozing wounds;

But the scar tissues are left behind;

To remind us of the battles behind;

I try all the positive pick me ups;

I do hate to be in the doldrums;

I stuff myself with sugary bites;

Hoping to find some delight;

Yet nothing seems to work!

At least I can try to write the pain away!

How do you heal a heartsick heart?

Does anyone know?

Because this struggle is real!

I am human not machine;

I feel things like every other like me;

Despite the upbeat state of mind;

That I choose to maintain;

Sometimes, the pain is so real

It consumes your entire being;

You cannot seem to think of anything else;

The laughter is forced;

The companionship is wanted and not wanted;

The placation placates and annoys;

Your feelings are all twisted and upside down;

Sometimes, I wish that it is easy to stop feeling;

To become an Island and create a buffer around your heart;

That way you loose no one and you feel nothing;

But that would be a sad waste wouldn’t it?

The struggle is real!

Some may think it is a show of weakness;

To wail and to seek for help;

But I know that I don’t have all the answers;

Neither do I care for toughies who know it all!

Tell me; how do you heal a heartsick heart?

P.S. When the grim reaper deals a blow; Someone must be left grappling with the wicked show!

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Family · Life · Musings · Poetry/Poems

Tormented Heart….

jacquelineobyikocha22 Comments

Grieving

In the doldrums lies my Soul;
Cast in the deep shadows of melancholic sadness;
Adrift with the lack of sense of it all;

I remember your fair sparkle;
Your gentle modulated tones of speech;
Your laughter that tinkles like little bells;
and your eyes that dance in merriment.

No preceding warning;
Not anything at all!
You were here;
Now you are gone;

Like a wisp of wind, floating…floating away;
You have sailed away;
Never to be seen again.

Your dancing eyes sleep, dimmed in forever;
Your gentle ways a resounding loss;
Your sense of humanity gone…so gone…

Oh! My Soul grieves at the pain of it all;
For the young ones that you have left behind;
Their shocked bewilderment and despair;
Staggering at the blow that fate just dealt;

My eyes are dry and tear ducts sealed;
I am in open-mouthed disbelief;
Yet, I remind myself of the transience of life;
That it shouldn’t come as a surprise;
That Souls journey often to another realm;

Yet, it does surprise and it hurts;
I am as sore as an angry bear!
Shall I say goodbye?
I have no idea how…….

Best friendJacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Creative Writing · Hope · Poetry/Poems

Terror Stricken… shall we forget?

jacquelineobyikocha11 Comments

In response to the seventh edition of the Creativity Carnival.  That this edition comes to you on the anniversary of September 11 attacks makes it special.

Terror stricken

Like yesterday, it dawned like the day before..

Unlike yesterday, we mourned like never before..

The frame of the building shook, groaned and trembled in anguish..

Its staggered implosion, tumbled heaps of concrete, glass and reinforced metal deafened the eyes..

The billow of dust and the ashes of the dead rose into the clouds for miles and miles apart..

They painted the skies, blinded the ears, clogged the nostrils and choked the heart…

The wails of the siren sounded forlorn..

Of mayhem and catastrophe unleashed like never before..

The silence of the fallen..

The virulence of the bereaved..

Limbs shattered, Tears frozen, Dreams crushed..

All buried in heaps..

We scoured in the rubble covered in smog and perspiration..

We waited, we uttered prayers in utmost desperation..

The land ran dark with red blood and gore..

Our hearts ripped out from our chests and crushed under tons of concrete and metal..

Terror stood in our eyes..

Anguish ran down our nose..

Our blood fired at such betrayal..

We are left clutching nothing but hope..

The pain of the Lost Ones never to be forgotten..

But out of the rubble and ashes of despair..

The Phoenix

Bravely we rise again!

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Inspiration - Motivation · Poetry/Poems · Writing

I put it to you….

jacquelineobyikocha68 Comments

1442285038556I have learnt that your happiness is that which you seek diligently. That you should grab it with both hands and guard it like chosen treasure.

That the state of happiness can be a cultivated state of mind, by applying simple but life changing attitudes.

  • A forgiving heart and a generous spirit.
  • Learning to turn mistakes into lessons.
  • Always revert within and seek your inner peace.
  • Leave the sweating of the small stuff behind.
  • Be grateful and thankful always.
  • Learn to love yourself and cascade it to others.
  • Build relationships.
  • Drop the mental slavery and stop dwelling on the past. It will never come back.
  • Spend your time on meaningful ways of looking forward to the future.
  • Rough it through even though it might start out difficult, that situation too shall pass.

Let me share with you a little article I wrote a while ago:

Your real home lies within you.
Not the bricks and mortar house of glamor that you reside in.

All painted and glossy with every top of the range appliance that money can buy.

That my friend, is just your physical abode.

Your real home lies within you,

Yet the home within you is neglected, in shambles and in quandary,

That even a stray pet would not want to live in there,

Take care of the real home that lies within you;

Fill it with good things,

A large portion of love,

A fresh harvest of thanksgiving

A handful of forgiveness,

Some tablespoons of honesty,

A jug of faith,

A dash of loyalty,

An ounce of friendship,

Three tablespoons of tenderness,

A whole shake of patience,

One big barrel of laughter

And a large dose of prayer.

Blend it all together, and bake it in the oven of your heart with a pan of Hope until it is well done.

Serve your guests daily with generous portions,
And your real home will definitely gleam with splendor.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

In response to: Writing 101 – Day 7: Hook ’em with a quote