Mama said to me, baby,
anyone who keeps dragging you three steps back
when you manage to take one step forward,
must be left behind
to admire your back view
as you hustle along.
©
Jacqueline
An excerpt from my work-in-progress.
You can read my book, Unbridled on Kindle Unlimited for free.
My mama said to me
“Baby, don’t look for others to lift you up,
‘cos you’ll be disappointed.”
“Rather, make your shoulders
strong enough to support others
and you’ll rise up with them.”
©
Jacqueline
An excerpt from my work-in-progress.
You can read my book, Unbridled on Kindle Unlimited for free.
![PicsArt_08-25-06.18.21[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/picsart_08-25-06-18-211.png)
You never know much strength you have, until you have put yourself to the task. Jacqueline
Your strength lies often in your brain
and not just in the brawn,
your strength lies often in your wisdom
and not just in the intellect,
your strength lies often in your diligence
and not just in an attempt,
your strength lies in your tolerance
and never in bigotry;
your strength lies with others
and never just on your own.
I would describe myself as a self-driven and purpose minded person, but sometimes I fall short of my own expectations and possibly the expectation of others as well.
However, I’ve learnt with time that when I partner with others, like my family, colleagues, and friends like you, I achieve far more than I even imagined.
Starting my blog was delayed for years because I felt that I didn’t have enough of what it takes to maintain a blog, but here I am today, plugging away everyday without looking back.
Now I don’t even have enough time in the day to attend to my writing needs due to all other responsibilities that have my name written on them. Nevertheless, I take a moment at a time and apply my best and continue the act of balancing the rest.
I enjoy the prompts for WQWWC. They give me the opportunity to reflect and possibly make my own quote around the topic at hand. You can always join in.
Jacqueline
P.S. Our monthly Meet and Greet/Blog Party comes up this weekend Sat 27th/Sun 28th August. Hope to see you there.
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Hold on to your hope; for hope is the leaven that bakes the bread of your expectation – Jacqueline
Hope Rising
****
Even when my breath falters in trepidation
hope burgeons within my soul.
For the spirit of light
must outshine the pitch of darkness
and the strength of love
bends the hopeless state of hatred.
Indeed,
Our Hope in humanity must arise
even in the midst of dire crisis.
**
Giving up hope is as good as giving up breathing because each day that we live, we are faced with challenges that require the strength of our hope, faith and courage to get through.
Sometimes dire situations can cause us to become despondent, however, there are various ways of holding on to your hope whilst you walk through a situation. One can’t just roll over and give up. We’ve got to keep holding on to hope, walking our way through, for no circumstance is permanent.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Below is my first 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.
Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha’s poems portray images that stare us right in the face. Images of love, joy, death, pain, challenges, violation, and freedom. She writes in a language that’s rich in imagery, earthy, honest, vulnerable, yet full of the promise of hope, of loving and of Grace. A collection of light and dark soulful prose.
Every Tuesday, I share snippets of thoughts that I call ‘My Thinking Corner.’
I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple. You can check this link for more details.
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♣ A problem can actually become a blessing if we are wise enough to use them to grow stronger.
♣ Wisdom that will bear fruits should never be cast on loose soil that’s lost its fertility.
The thought above came to me when I reflected on the fact that what we are reaping in today’s World, are all the seeds that were sown in the past and as we continue to cast our seeds, may we choose our soil wisely, otherwise we will never have any worthwhile harvest.
Below are more snippets of wisdom from awesome bloggers. Take a moment to read.
Today’s nuggets: great quotes to guide daily living from Stella’s post.
A bouquet for your thoughts: Vaayadi offers us a delightful bouquet and thoughts to make you smile.
15 beautiful thoughts about her: Dehan’s words gets me revving with confidence. You won’t come away empty-handed.
Lessons from a Rose: a beautiful lesson that we all need to learn, relearn and keep learning each day. Thank you, Laura for your words.
I hope that you find these little drops useful now and again. Do check them out and please share snippets of your thoughts with us.
Thanks and blessed be.
© 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
![1465885793459[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/14658857934591.jpg)
These are the words floating through my head of late.
Sometimes our strength flags a bit and we just need to exhale to get back those thoughts properly aligned. We shouldn’t feel guilty for taking the time to unplug; special note to workaholics like me.
Rest and recuperation are all part of being productive and taking care of oneself, though in the highly driven World of today, some of us tend to overreach and treat ourselves unkindly for cutting a slack.
When you unplug and rewind, you bounce back a whole lot better. When we walk ourselves into a state of guilt for showing ourselves some love, we not only create room for diminished returns but a lot of negative emotions begin to seep in.
Blessed be.
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.
To that fragile
thin thread
of hope
do
h
o
l
d
on.
I am a die-hard hopeful-realist – if such a word exists. I believe in putting in my best in anything that I do and holding on tight to the hope that it will turn out well, even when it all looks dim.
Somehow, that little mustard seed has never failed me.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Hope, The Daily Post Prompt
Below is my first 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.
Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha’s poems portray images that stare us right in the face. Images of love, joy, death, pain, challenges, violation, and freedom. She writes in a language that’s rich in imagery, earthy, honest, vulnerable, yet full of the promise of hope, of loving and of Grace. A collection of light and dark soulful prose.
If I was an arrow, what would I hit?
Would I kill the beast or fall short
Would the string be pulled to guide me straight?
Or would I break in the fall?
If I was a tree where would I stand?
My supports the ground, yet it’s all just sand
My roots grow down to try and keep
Me from falling, into the deep
If I was a song, would I be sung, If I was a story would I be read?
If I follow the line the world chose for me, would I be truly safe and free?
Or when I have my dying breath, would all I trust be for nought
On this earth, I now stand
My path I must choose
The guide I pick will either lead me home
Or torment me when I’m in the deep
If I was a rose, would I be proud
My colours glowing my petals open
Or would I whither and fade away
To join the litter on the ground.
If I was a cloud,
where would I go
would I cause rain, cause the snow
Or in the pushing winds float far away
Until at last I fade
By myself I am weak,
I have no strength inside of me
Its strength in the Lord keeps me going
He’s my bowman, he’s my roots
If I was a rose, I’d chose to open
Displaying his colours for the world to see.
Poetry credit: James Patmore
No. (Number) That’s what Linda gave us for today’s Saturday stream of consciousness and I had to remind myself over a no. of times to get up and do it.
Today, I have refused to do a good number of things except lie around and whine in my head. Taking a deep breath after the days almost gone, I haul my butt out to get it done.
It’s not a deliberate attitude not to do anything, except binge on food, but some deep lethargy that seems to have pervaded my mind for the past couple of weeks and this has made everything a drudgery.
I know the symptoms for I have experienced it over thousands of times and so many times when I allow the dragon out of its lair by letting the lethargy fester it never bodes well.
Over the thousand no. of times that I have allowed it take over, it dragged me down into its lair and turns me into a dragon myself. Everything that I am doing would give way for this sniveling, annoying, depressing monster who rears its ugly head when it wills.
It’s a good thing that I always have several bowls of prepared food in the fridge and freezer, so that way, my family don’t suffer on the days that lethargy seizes my bones.
Now that I’ve written, I feel better and can’t help wonder how many times I allowed it to beat me. Can I put a figure to the no. of times it got the better of me? I doubt if I can. However today, it’s not going to get my number anymore. Enough!
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
