Thursday, December 30, 2010

Purity of Lies

Lie purified truths
Potent as sage muse
Subtle as love
Meshed in irony

Life begets death
Wisdom of the drunk
Lust begets love
Society scorns

Lies makes love last
What more man asks

True love lusts
Our name drip deceit
Closed embrace
Silent laughter

Bitter kisses
Taste like honeycomb
Wrinkled smiles?
What more man asks

What are we living to die for?
True love's fake pulse?
Comfort of Persian rugs?
Sphinx riddles world ask

Love sighs
As hearts look up the sky
Lovers nestle
In purity of lies


By Jefumare and Jennifer Ehidiamen

Monday, October 25, 2010

Of Cherries and Wells


Of cherries and wells
The hint I sell
That which makes man well
Yet sicken his soul
That which quicken strolls
Yet weaken soles

Life's the quest
Cherry's a test
We'll pass
You'll fail
Thy pleasure, thy wail
Mankind future mortgaged
With knowledge sin dwells

In thine heart
prevalent is time and wealth

Who chased wealth
Crave cherries
Wished Wells
In courts private

He of cruxifix creed
Celibate is he indeed
He Luthered cherries
Berries of crimson breed
Draws not from wells
Except of synagogue seal

'Tis no play
Even scripture say
Of daughters of Eden's lie
How mankind's fate steer they

That which makes man well
Yet sicken his soul
That which quicken strolls
Yet weaken soles

Thy pleasure, thy wail
Mankind future mortgaged
With knowledge sin dwells

We listen once
Yet reason twice
Of cherries and wells
And the future they tell




By Jefumare © 2010

Saturday, October 23, 2010

IN MEMORY OF OPEYEMI GIWA (This Thirst Cannot Be Quenched)



In morning's night,
Death struts with delight.
It schadenfruede,
As foul news spread,
And grins like Halloween.
We take heart
Albeit, with great
Pain, we'll soldier on
In life's futile sojourn.
This thirst cannot be quenched!
Boya is legend!
Earth's now heaven;
His heaven is earth.
Ope lives! His tense? Present.
We'll celebrate his times
Like art - evergreen in hearts.
This death births
Memory eternal.
Like a clarion call,
It reunites.
Your memory'll soothe
Our pained boots.
Though we'll sourly miss,
Your life's bliss,
And the lessons it'll
Teach reinstate God's will.
Afterall, we are but boys
Awaiting His voice...
Till pearly gate's call,
Adieu! My "other",
Adieu! My brother.
Till we meet...to part no more,
Till we meet...to play...forever more.



By Jefumare © 2010

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

INTEGRITY


“Good name in man or woman, dear my Lord,

Is the immediate jewel on their souls,

Who steals my purse steals thrash;

It is something – nothing

'Twas mine; 'tis his, and has been

Slave to thousands

But who filches from me my good name,

Robs me of which not enrich him

But makes me poor indeed.”


William Shakespeare

THE BLACKBERRY CRAZE


That Nigerians have a knack for new technology and inventions of the jet age is no news. Our grasp for inventions the world of information technology cannot be rivalled – at least by or neighbouring western African counterparts. It is, in fact, under estimated. It has been just over a decade that GSM was introduced to the country and it seems it has been here forever. One cannot imagine what it will be like without a phone today. I just finished a chat session with an old friend in the US, rewind 12 years and I would have had to queue up before making a call…naaaah!!! We had the privilege of a "land line", but I remember people scheduled dates and time so they could come in and speak to their loved ones abroad. All that is the past now. If one needs to speak to a friend or relation, one need not call. You can just “ping” and you’re on! Thanks to the Blackberry device. Those at Research in Motion “no know wetin dem don cause for Naija”. "BB", as they call it here, is the new craze.

RIM has probably hatched the best coup in mobile telephony as other mobile phone companies are scrambling with inventions to rival what a “BB” offers. The device itself offers a lot; for the business executive, it is the perfect assistant as it helps him/her prepare and network business deals. Also the random guy has a lot to benefit from its features and functions; email access, instant messaging, RRS feeds, e.t.c. Nigerians have, in our traditional way, caught the buzz as it’s no longer “fancy” if you using a N**** or a S*** E****** phone ( I bet you know what I mean, I no wan write am full…make I no downgrade dem…jasi?). The mobile phone operators also have, quickly, put in place the services they’ll require. It sometimes seem these services has long been in existence, but it is barely 3 years.

“Darling when are you going to buy me a BB?” is the common question thrown at the guys now. Almost every Nigerian girl wants a BB! Guys too are not left out, most people just want to “feel among”. There are many things people see as security. To some, it might be a Swiss bank account, a yacht, a mansion in Abuja, a pair of Gucci shoes….and, yes, to others security is owning a Blackberry. They feel complete with it. Life becomes better as they can now “fit in”.

It is, albeit unconsciously, a Nigerian culture - most of us live above our income! So a guy that is in school probably gets a BB for himself and the girlfriend goes crazy, so he gets one for her to not minding that it’ll cost ten thousand Naira for subscription. Most people do not subscribe - they use it as an ordinary phone. Our (pronounced: awa) girls don device means o… when they start being friendly towards the end of the month its subscription time. That “pingy pingy” pal on your Blackberry IM list…even with no strings attached….you know how the thing go?

Whatever happened to good old texting? Now the babe you meet at the movies asks for your PIN. Some even lie about the Blackberry thing…imagine a babe saying she bought hers but would get the PIN next week? Sheeesh! Fake status messages and all that crap. Some broadcast thrash and “threaten” ill finances to people who do not keep the broadcast going. I ask one thing; shey God no dey before we start dey use BB? Some unrealistic Pharisees no go let man rest!

The Blackberry “culture” has come to stay…like its predecessors: the internet and GSM. I remember vividly going to cafés with friends to watch new videos online and send emails. It was quite novel then and we “catched” our fun doing it. Then, the GSM wave took over, and one could literally get everything on a platter of gold if one could boast a phone. The offshoots info- tech breakthroughs are now deeply entrenched in nucleus of our society, and those who have utilized it 's business acumen have made serious profits. While others have just enjoyed the ease it has brought to their lives. It’s now the turn of the BB…Brace yourself, don't get knocked down while pinging....try also not to spend all your income on "pingment" (subscription). I wonder what's next? God help us all!


P.S. Can I get your PIN(g)?

Down

Greek gifts of Manson's creed,
Self-righteous guilty-continuity-announcers
Turned virgins against mirrors.
It's all picture perfect,
But as the moon dampens rainbow's light
We'll see who's true.
As blue skies turn grey,
Liqour is no more for play.
At sun's triumphant awakening
The pious would stand,
Head -strong, face lifted
No ears for pleas.
Down you friend of Saducee creed!
Who shot trust
And seemingly made away poker-faced?
Silence's loudest sound awaits.
Time's taking us there.
There where truth waits
To quench your foul passion

By Jefumare © 2010


Wednesday, October 6, 2010

PUSH-START, LOKOMOTIVE AND AUTO ENGINES


For me, all men are made different. Some “moulded from a thousand influence” others, born with or without silver spoons. The key factor is one’s belief, work ethic and determination. While some are slow to start, others need a push and some have auto-like engines – they pick up speed like a Ferrari. I believe silver spoons are not the determining factor in life. All silver spoons were once bought or acquired via hard work! Though, some lucky generation gets to inherit these spoons, someone, somewhere in their family line had labored for it. Some use the privilege well and others don’t i.e. a lot of people born into wealth end up poor. Indeed one must work in other to be successful, but curse not those who do not work, so to speak, but manage the work done by previous generation. What were your fore fathers doing when theirs set to work? Waiting for a push? Taking risks? Mapping out plans?

Sometimes we wonder why we are not engage in things others are seemingly progressing at. We push ourselves. We blame ourselves. Sometimes we challenge ourselves to do such things because we believe it secures or ensures success. Some people do not change their focus and they end up successful. Some do, and end up even more successful. Sticking to the script and never quitting almost always guarantees success, but how do one determine if one is reading/sticking to the right script? Some would wax spiritual by “letting His grace take over”, others push harder. To put simple, our minds play a great deal in what we eventually become. Some are sprinters and other masters of the marathon. The task is to get to the finish line, and as the saying goes “the race is not for the swift”.

People who need a push need it fast because time wasted and cannot be regained. A push kick-starts their whole life. A push, a challenge, an opportunity sheds their skin and they become new beings. Unlike a persona with an auto-engine, he needs that lil’ favor. Auto engines are quick to adapt. Wherever he/she finds himself becomes an automatic goldmine. He’s a risk taker. He sometimes gets knocked down but he jumps right back into the contest. He thrives in challenges and is often put off when things are too easy. The marathon man is more composed, he maps out his strategies, taking one step at a time and achieving goal after goal. He is in no rush at all. Slowly but surely he gets to the destination - in style. The question now is how do we discover the field we fall into? I once took a “swagger test” on one of the popular social network and one of the questions posed was “If you get to a party what do you do?”. The options given were synonymous to these: (a) You get your groove on immediately and become the star man (b) You walk quietly to a corner, surveying and studying the environment (c) You immediately start to look for some familiar faces and (d) You walk straight to the bar. I believe if you found an answer to from the options then you’ll know what category you belong to. When you find out, just work hard and stick to your script. Don’t worry about the if’s of the maybe’s. Do the damn thing! I’ll see you at the top.

Monday, October 4, 2010

The Proud Poet a poem by Joyce Kilmer



The Proud Poet by Joyce Kilmer is a poem that paints a thousand pictures in the mind. Open your mind, read and enjoy...


The Proud Poet


One winter night a Devil came and sat upon my bed,
His eyes were full of laughter for his heart was full of crime.
"Why don't you take up fancy work, or embroidery?" he said,
"For a needle is as manly a tool as a pen that makes a rhyme!"
"You little ugly Devil," said I, "go back to Hell
For the idea you express I will not listen to:
I have trouble enough with poetry and poverty as well,
Without having to pay attention to orators like you.

"When you say of the making of ballads and songs that it is woman's work
You forget all the fighting poets that have been in every land.
There was Byron who left all his lady-loves to fight against the Turk,
And David, the Singing King of the Jews,
who was born with a sword in his hand.
It was yesterday that Rupert Brooke went out to the Wars and died,
And Sir Philip Sidney's lyric voice was as sweet as his arm was strong;
And Sir Walter Raleigh met the axe as a lover meets his bride,
Because he carried in his soul the courage of his song.

"And there is no consolation so quickening to the heart
As the warmth and whiteness that come from the lines of noble poetry.
It is strong joy to read it when the wounds of the spirit smart,
It puts the flame in a lonely breast where only ashes be.
It is strong joy to read it, and to make it is a thing
That exalts a man with a sacreder pride than any pride on earth.
For it makes him kneel to a broken slave and set his foot on a king,
And it shakes the walls of his little soul with the echo of God's mirth.

"There was the poet Homer had the sorrow to be blind,
Yet a hundred people with good eyes would listen to him all night;
For they took great enjoyment in the heaven of his mind,
And were glad when the old blind poet let them share his powers of sight.
And there was Heine lying on his mattress all day long,
He had no wealth, he had no friends, he had no joy at all,
Except to pour his sorrow into little cups of song,
And the world finds in them the magic wine that his broken heart let fall.

"And these are only a couple of names from a list of a thousand score
Who have put their glory on the world in poverty and pain.
And the title of poet's a noble thing, worth living and dying for,
Though all the devils on earth and in Hell spit at me their disdain.
It is stern work, it is perilous work, to thrust your hand in the sun
And pull out a spark of immortal flame to warm the hearts of men:
But Prometheus, torn by the claws and beaks whose task is never done,
Would be tortured another eternity to go stealing fire again".


I bet Joyce Kilmer painted a unique picture in your mind. Although, most people do not appreciate poetry in Nigeria today, a good poem remains golden through the ages. The Proud Poet conjures anecdotes from the secular and religious....it is worth reading over and over. Go ahead! thrill yourself.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Now Your Suffering Continues (NYSC)


You know the feeling you get when you get money from a source, and you feel you do not deserve it. That’s exactly how I felt. The money I got seemed like a gift (“free gift” as an old friend would say). So I spent it all. The shocking part of it is I cannot remember what I spent it on. My 1st NYSC “alawi” was spent in record time – 1hr. Reckless spending some would say, but in truth I didn’t feel it was. Na so we lounge till late night…a la Lasgidi.

For some of us, the NYSC scheme is a waste of time. We were already getting our lives on track before the silly “clarions” call! The scheme, beautifully crafted, seems efficacious on paper but in reality is a farce we are tricked into. Tales of corpers in terrible situations fill state secretariats all over the country and Governors continue their propaganda year in year out as new batches of corps members take the oath. Now Your Suffering Continues (NYSC) is here to stay.

The PPA’s are something else these days. Some corps members get posted to eateries, shops and what have you. Some do not pay well and some give corps members paltry sums without any form of accommodation. Those posted to schools are lucky. Most of these schools have some form of accommodation. A striking finding is the mute stance of corps members. I find it irritating. It seems the “managing” mentally is deeply entrenched. People just “manage” whatever situation they find themselves without demanding an explanation or upgrade even when they entitled to such. And the excuse – we are serving our fatherland! I guess it’s just the way things work at this stage. Whenever I try to air my view with fellow corps members, I usually get a cold shoulder and turn the other cheek. I speak Greek in these situations so I’ve stopped complaining. This is Rome so I guess I’ll be Roman.

It’s been almost two months now and I am getting acquainted with not living in Lagos. I lost my camp girl. Apparently, I was just a means to an end. Cruel? No. I don’t think so. It’s camp “ish”. Get to camp, “hook up” with some ”chic”, have fun and it ends there. I guess I wanted more. It was never going to happen. Silly me. I’m serving at a Radio station in the city and I must say since I got here there hasn’t been much fun for me. The topsy turvy of my new life gives me little or no chance to unwind. Though night life is cool and there are several side attractions, “na if you get bar you fit flex”. The city is not like Lagos but boasts similar infrastructures. Amongst the first things I noticed is the love for the governor. Everyone has something nice to say about him. The city boasts a good network of roads, “working” street lights, clean and well landscaped environment amongst others. Also, power supply is fairly stable as most people don’t have need for generating sets. Yes. It is far better than what transpires in “ the centre of excellence”. Nevertheless, Eko o ni baje o! I miss home...but must remain here.


P.S. Music via lappy, BB and iPod naim dey comfort myself since I don't have much to celebrate at Nigeria's 50th year.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Jerkyll and Hyde


I'll Jerkyll
I'll Hyde
I'll uncork the bride
Before the aisle


The Jerkyll
Plato's token
Street pencils
Hyde's hokum


I'll Jerkyll
I'll Hyde
What they'll
Seek will they find?

Saturday, May 22, 2010

It


It comes
It goes
I burn
I'll cope

Friday, May 21, 2010

Friends


The stolen
The replaced
The actual
The unexpected
Trust died
At breach's birth
The loss
The restored
The life
Our story
Past times
Agony, shame, pain internal
Moving on
Greater things
I move
Stagnant them
Look, watch, wish
Time ticks, can't be backed
All is lost
Maybe not
Come back, look back
Turn back, its gone
You chose
We lost



By Jefumare © 2009

Past Times


Visuals race through
Flashes of experience,
Pleasure reminiscent
Soothes reality's sore.
Nostalgic flirts and
Thoughts of Adam's art
The pleasure it gave...
Satisfaction from simple
Now complex simplicity

In twilight When sober
Missed Cherubim Wish I
Wished summer never came
Ruins hazy harmattan brought
Relics left like Persian rugs,
Mock reality,
Tortures present
Past make I long for

Perverted by Juliet's emotions
I taste the forbidden,
Bit seemingly blossomed cherries
Sweet from bitterness crave I
Like father's mistake
I tasted, I swallowed
Fake truths were a pleasure
Real lies hurt


By Jefumare © 2009

...When Lust Dreams


Stranger in sheets
Warmer may it get
Pleasure will it give?
Pain might yet be
Longer moon sets
Surer its genesis
Pray we meet
May we crossroad
Maybe unfold
Lusts like flowers blossom
Until light come
Till dark shades
Then once more,
Once more before we part
No more to meet
Heavy with pervetious nostalgia
I lust to win once more
To sin yet win


By Jefumare © 2009

Citrus Revolution


The weed be crushed
Its roots crucified
This legacy shall flower
Let truth be tamed
Standards
Mores
Values
All seem efficacious
Saturating desires
Quenched by norms
Of crowd people
Oust the peculiar!
Privy's the watchword
Lusts hidden
They schandenfreude
Luther's fall like victory song
We must rebel
Aztec,
Stone hedge,
And Rosetta
Prove me right
Two piece suits suits me,
Or more pieces
One way is not fair
We choose to fight
The revolution is citrus
We'll spare the apples


By Jefumare © 2010

Bleed Conscience Bleed


Am I hollow
Is life shallow
Doubts swallowed
In silent wallow

Ocean directs
Talent neglect
Peer selects
Pressure effect

Conscience's shallow
Life's hollow
In lies wallow
Silence swallows

Prank respect
Mask elects
Due respect
Mankind unsuspect

...arrest me please
Conscience pleads
Harness me please
Potential bleeds

Am I hollow
Is life shallow
In lies wallow
Silence swallow

...arrest me please
Conscience pleads
Harness me please
Potential bleeds


By Jefumare © 2010

?


Am I poet?
Am I god?
Create I words
That tickle your thought?

By Jefumare © 2010