Social critic · Social Issues

Just Who Are We Fooling? Just a thought.

Image result for images of peace

We write we talk, we meet and we tweet
we call each other ugly names in moments of madness
we select a handful to make scapegoats out of the terrorist gangs
and impose bans and policies that are simply laughable

BECAUSE after all is said and tweets of hashtags and empty moments of silence

We go ahead and sign billions of dollars for arms and ammunitions – with those who breed terrorists with great delight – only to propagate more wars.

Just who are we fooling?

OUR leaders are responsible for these reproachable acts of terrorism. They are all owned by these billion dollars manufacturing plants for armament.

They vicariously feed terrorism through their greed to line their own pockets with filthy riches and at the expense of innocent citizens.

These terrorists get their arms for their dastardly acts from somewhere, it’s a vicious ugly cycle.

I am tired of having my thoughts bombarded each week by one form of terrorist attack or the other.

Until we start holding our leaders truly accountable and stop worshipping parties and their money, we will never get it right. Peace is not the absence of war, but the good sense not to propagate it.

Who is your leader in bed with?

Today, my thoughts are with London. Peace.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday.

What if? – Streams of consciousness Saturday.

If we were to try and wear the other person’s shoes and found how tight they pinched and how many miles they had to walk, would that possibly make us more empathetic towards others?SoCS badge 2015

If the respect each person seeks for him or herself is equally reciprocated, doesn’t that implicitly indicate a balanced measure of treatments?

There are many if’s, why’s and what not’s that I could ask and possibly receive no answers for, but one ‘if’ that I would really like an answer to is, if all men were created equal why then are we having sad disparities all over the place where some have become not only intolerant of each other, but it’s growing to such dangerous proportions?

If we all understood that there’s beauty in diversity and we lived our lives with love as a compass, then we would have a more conducive World to inhabit.

What makes you think that your own beliefs are the only way to go and if not your way then everyone else is an infidel and should be taken off the face of the Earth?

If all parents stopped being ignorant and desist from raising their children on hate filled tenets, racial slurs, and bigotry, I bet the next generation would be wiser.

If we truly believe all that we spout about right to life and the likes, then why do some folks discriminate and not practice what they preach or is it that they speak from both sides of their mouth and have two faces?

If women of colour boycotted patronising the silly beauty products manufacturing companies that come up with their biased and useless measures of what constitutes a beautiful woman ‘that a lady has to have light skin and pointed nose etc’ and can be satisfied in the beauty of who they are, most of these women will not only be better off as individuals, but these companies will suffer loss of business and go sell their false products in Jupiter.

However, on a serious note, if our World continues the way that it’s going what legacy do we leave behind for our progenitures? What then?

P.S. The if and then prompt Linda gave us made me pause but I realized that I have loads of if questions lurking in my mind and if I were to continue with the if’s, why’s and what’s it could then turn into a mini-book of if-then what 😉

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.

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

Jacqueline writes from her heart on passion, pain, suffering, loss and LIFE. I have been incredibly moved by her poetry and I know I will return to “Out of the Silent Breath” again and again.

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

Let Go and Live!…

Crime, Blood, Offence, Misstep, Face, Eye, Black

Until we let go

of all the hatred

and embrace

the light of love

DARKNESS

will remain a companion.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

May perpetual light shine on the souls of the departed in Orlando, and may their families find the grace to heal.”


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

Blog · Featured Blogs

Featured Posts # 32…Let me share your post links.

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I am so UPSET WITH WORDPRESS. I put in lots of time to prepare posts and poof! They disappear into thin air with all my beautiful words.

I read through blogs and did this today’s features and when I published nothing came up.

‘PLEASE KEEP SENDING IN THE LINKS.’

Today’s featured blogs are:

Catching phrases Don’t you just love pop culture and the coined words that float around in society. I enjoyed reading this 🙂

Wherefore art thou cupcake? I enjoyed this humourous bit and do share her angst.

Shandra eats She presents us with simply, delightful and wholesome meals

Where is the outrage now? There are some articles that you read that throws a punch in your face and the harsh glare of societal truth stares you in the face.

Aetna isn’t coming to my home When your health insurance guy’s want to visit with or without your consent, you have the right to remain silent 😉

Please visit their blogs and say hello. A few minutes may gain you a friendly support.

‘Do you want more eyes on your words?’

Well then, add your LINK INTO THIS LOOP.

P.S. Comments are disabled here to keep the loop tidy. Any comments or link you want to send can be added through the link in the post.

Thank you for your understanding and regards.

‘We create a cohesive community when we come together.’

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

The Daily Post · Uncategorized

Nerves of Steel…

 

Our nerves are stretched and frayed
And yes, we champ at our bits by it all
At the spate of hateful and violent attacks
Rocking the World to minutes of silence
…and viral hashtags

How can we condone this?
How can we continue like this?
What kind of horrible lives these people must live.
To harbour souls so embittered?
…and nerves made of steel.

Complete sensitivity is lost to other peoples’ lives
There are hardly words to explain such horror
And the damage that hate can do
As yet again, we are shocked from lulled senses
…and all I ask is when? When will it come to an end?

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Nerves The Daily Post

Creative Writing · Musings · Personal story · Poetry/Poems · Writing 101

Heaven Bound!…

Lies 2

Heaven lies in your hands.

Said the Teacher,

To the Bomber.

Don’t you want to get to heaven he asked?

Easy-peasy! He advised

Bomber listened with rapturous intent.

All you need to do today,

Is to kill everybody

Said Teacher

To Bomber

Heaven lay in his hands.

Time ticked away,

Voila! Heaven at last.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Writing 101, Day 6, Fallacy

Creative Writing · Hope · Life · Poetry/Poems · Social Issues · Writing · Writing 101

May I Share With You?…

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LIVING FREE…

May I live
Unafraid to breathe
Free from a choke-hold
That becomes a stronghold
May I live
Unafraid to live
Clinging to my expectations
With feral desperation

SHARING FREELY…

May I share space
Unafraid of being encased
Free from condemnation of race
That becomes a strong base
Purple, White, Olive, Black and every hue within
May I share space
Knowing that we are first a human race
…And all blood are red in this place.

BELIEVE FREELY…

May I speak of belief
Unafraid and in relief
Free from contentious eyes of disbelief
That becomes thresholds of grief
May I wear my mask of belief
Understanding that to achieve
Peace would be a welcome reprieve
…Which we must seek to retrieve.

LOVING FREELY…

May I love you
Unafraid to be bound to you
Free from censors of broken whispers
That becomes harbingers of cold shivers
May I love freely my love
Unafraid to expose my naked bust
Knowing that in you lies my trust
Encased in the warm embrace of your love.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Writing 101, Day 5 Freedom

A link to my neighbours/Community · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Little rants · Quotes For You · Societal Issues

When One Finger Picks Oil….

Blanket Race or Religious castigating remarks always feed off the wilful, ugly actions of the misguided among us in society. Nelson 2

These actions earn names and virulent comments from those who perfect the act of positing themselves as armchair judges, pointing fingers, pontificating and lumping people under labels.

In fairness to others, we should learn to stop herding and lumping people into categories to suit our lack of open-mindedness and to satisfy our cravings for ”I told you so’s” as is the case of an African proverb that says “when one finger picks palm oil, it spreads to the rest.”

It is a given and natural phenomenon that the influence of one’s upbringing and society will not only rub off on them, but will dictate and shape their views, behavioral tendencies and if this is the case, then it stands to reason that the individual is not necessarily to blame for how they turn out, but the society at large and their upbringing.

Who are society? We! We form society and not aliens from Mars.

What have we done as a society to improve these situations that we find ugly, which keeps perpetuating itself until they are fast replacing the normal with the abnormal?

Since we are too busy being politically correct, we are all to blame.

If we truly love and want to change our World as much as we claim, is this not then the time to stop playing Possum and to stop hiding our heads in the sand?

Is it not yet time for Muslim leaders to stand as one voice and castigate the bad eggs who perpetrate evil in the name of  Islam?

Is it not yet time for the people to question the status-quo and raise eyebrows at those who do these so-called brainwashing?

Is it not yet time for Christians to open their hearts and express that love that we profess?

Is it not yet time for every Religious leader worth his salt to speak up and condemn these inhumane practices and other behavioural tendencies that hurts the society at large?

Or, have they lost their essence as the salt of the Earth?

Is it not time for the arm-chair pontificators to get off their butts and do something more useful other than to be judgmental?

Let us steadfastly attempt in seeking positive ways to do better things for the benefit of our society and not by the spate of ugly words spouting off peoples mouth all over the place.

Today, I will share these African proverbs with you, which should help us realize that our little works can have ripple effects since we are not in isolation and that:

”It takes a village to raise a child.’

”If your child is dancing clumsily, tell him, my child you are dancing clumsily. Don’t not tell him “darling, do as you please.”

”A child is what you put inside him.”

”One should shout when a child comes home with a stolen egg, otherwise the day he comes with a stolen ox, it will be too late.”

We are society. Let us stand for the truth.

Thank you Chape for providing the opportunity to enjoy ruminating over these proverbs. I would encourage you to visit his blog. You will find lots of useful fitness tips and neighbourliness.

My invitation extends to these 3 awesome bloggers:

Ngobesing Romanus of Success Inspirer

Tony Burgess

Beth at Nutsrok

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Image credit: Pinterest

Devotions · Life · Little rants · Poetry/Poems · Social Issues

Vive La Republique Du France!…

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I had my post for today all ironed out and set to go, until I woke up this morning and saw the news and I simply lost the desire for a light and chatty post.

A sick feeling settled in my stomach as I watched in utter stupefaction, the constant replay of attacks on innocent people gathered together for a concert, gathered to cheer their teams at the stadium; coldly murdered.

It wearies one to ask why? Why this hysterical, senseless killing? It just no longer makes sense.

Just several days ago we were reeling from this and now this.

I have a very special affinity for Paris and France as a whole. It means more to me than just a lovely holiday spot.

I am bilingual ( English /French ) a language that I spent 5 years to learn and I owe loyalty to this beautiful Nation for the opportunities it presented to my life.

For several years, I worked for the Embassy of France and the European Union.

I met my husband at “Maison de France” and I always feel like a part of me has come home when I visit Paris.

They welcome and throw their doors open to all and sundry who come to pay homage to this iconic city of European heritage and they are the least discriminating people that I happen to know from my sojourns in different parts of the World.

Shame on this infamy!

Shame on humans whose behaviour are nothing less than cowardly and dishonourable!

Even as the bloodbath and carnage of innocent ones soaks into the soil of its land, France’s pride and it’s beauty can never be cut down!

Hearts bowed in pain, we grieve.

Thrumming heat in our veins we scream.

Why do you kill me?

For I have done you nothing!

I have dined with you!

I have lain with you!

I cried with you and I laughed with you!

Yet you gather like locusts,

To feast on my flesh!

Have I done you any wrong?

That you kill us in throngs?

A mother weeps for a lost child!

A father bemoans his loved ones!

For the souls cut down in cold blood!

Who have done you no wrong!

Let our courage not fail us!

Nor our hearts cease to beat within us!

For they shall never know peace!

For the loss of the deceased.

The torment of their souls shall never cease!

Until they seek to find peace!

Peut les âmes des défunts reposent en paix/May the souls of the departed rest in peace!

Vive La France!

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Life · Social Issues · The Daily Post · Travel

This Manner of Madness…

HumanityNo I am not a masochist. I don’t derive gratification from self inflicted pain, it is simply the desire to watch what goes on in an ever changing World of today, hence my torturing myself with today’s news.

Today is 81115 and my eyes are pulled to the television. I gravitate to the headline news, since I don’t have all the time to sit before the TV for endless hours, I pick and choose my moments.

Watching the memorial service for the 224 unfortunate lost souls on Metro-jet from Sharm el sheikh to Russia has been a sobering and solemn experience.

I don’t know anybody among them and I don’t have to know anyone of them to imagine the pain of the families affected.

These were ordinary humans like you and I, blown to smithereens. Little children, wives, husbands, sons, daughters, relatives, friends, sweethearts, colleagues…..HUMANS!

I watched the stricken faces of the Russian citizens, the bell tolled 224 times for these possible victims of a dastardly act of fanaticism.

Terrorists have staked claim of responsibility for planting the bomb that blew the plane apart.

Who can explain this despicable beast of destruction that has given rise to so much inhumanity?

Who can explain why the heart of some humans are desperately wicked?

Who can explain the senseless violence and killing which seems to dot every perimeter of today’s horizon.

Who can explain the raging wars that tears Nations apart, decimating and displacing its citizenry?

Who can explain these virulent dogmas of hatred sown in the name of convoluted religions?

Is there an answer anyone?

No? Yes? SILENCE.

If it is true that it was an undetected bomb, then this is the new ugly face of travel, which would really be a dilemma and game changer.

“The days are indeed numbered.” ”Each day a precious taste of sweet nectar.”

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

The Daily Post Your Days Are Numbered.

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