Poems by Ngozi Olivia Osuoha

 DEAR WORLD

Dear world

I have watched with bitterness what you have done to yourself

You have crushed your foundation and laid bare your base,

You also have crashed your pillars

And buried your sight,

Now you fight with all your might.

Dear world

Look, I am tired of praying for you as you swell up in hate,

My prayers have piled up to the skies and heavens

I feel weak and numb to pray more as you continue to prey on yourself,

See, how happy you feel wanting to die,

O how eager you run to kill yourself.

Dear world

I am so ashamed of all you have done

You squashed unity and peace

You spoiled sanity and sense

Dear world, why are you so mean and cruel to yourself?

Do not say I never warned you

Never cry, I did not tell you

See, the dangers you were warned of have all happened, yet you wouldn't learn,

The atrocities you have done now chase you, yet you pride in them,

I have come to warn you again all over

I know you may never heed

Because your ears are deaf, and your eyes so blind.

Desist from evil, make haste to change

Stop the calamities you build

Refrain from the terrors you upload

Abstain from the horrors you upgrade

Contain the errors you download

Change, make the world a better place

No matter your pace, find a space

Show your face, and receive grace

Run, and win the race.

I DID NOT KEEP MUTE

I am just a voice

With message not noise,

Listen, and hear.

I have come, I am here

I wail, weep and wait

I hope and watch and pray

I did not keep mute.

As a flute, I blow loud

As a trumpet, I play into the crowd

As a pipe, I sound into the cloud

Hear me loud and clear

I did not keep mute.

Let generations unborn, hear me

Let the living take note,

Let the dead, feel me

Let heaven and earth witness;

That I did not keep mute.

Let my light shine in darkness,

in this dark world

Let my echo sound in emptiness,

in this empty world

Let my nuance fly in sadness,

in this sad world

Let my aim search the wilderness,

in this wild world

Let my anger avenge ugliness,

in this ugly world

Because I cannot keep mute.

I cannot keep mute, I am a flute

I cannot be bound, I am a parachute,

Dance to this music, this song of bitterness

Align with the rhythm; this melody of restlessness

Know it, say it, I did not keep mute.

Bear me witness again; louder

I did not keep mute, never did I

To this world of recklessness and woeful-ness

Please tell them, I was never comfortable!

Ngozi Olivia Osuoha is a Nigerian poet/writer/thinker/author. She's a graduate of Estate Management with experience in Banking and Broadcasting. She has featured in over one hundred and ten international anthologies and has equally published over three hundred and twenty poems in over forty countries. She has authored twenty three poetry books and some of them are archived in the United States' Library of Congress. She is also a tailor.

Some of her poems have been nominated for both the Best Of The Net Awards and Pushcart Prize.

Some of her works have also been translated into and published in some languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Farsi, Macedonian, Russian, Romanian, Khloe, Polish, Assamese, Scots, Hindi, Serbian among others.

SOLILOQUY OF PEN

 Furtive buzzing, self analysis

Own strength and power’s recall,

By virtue of patience I drop off

Relents my throat to avoid them all.

A little drop of ink thrills a lot

When flows through the sharp nib,

Moves magnifying the whole society 

Many thoughts contradict for a squib.

A small piece of sedimentary rock

Strangulates the dormant nostalgia,

Benignity calls forth to be speechless

Because it has seem many neuralgia.

Many war cry; many blood shed

No willing to see painful sight again.

Decision to walk in a convincing way

The globe stares a peaceful domain.

Ratikanta Samal

29-09-2021

BIO-NOTE

RATIKANTA SAMAL , JAJPUR,ODISHA,INDIA is a teacher by profession and he works under Schools and Mass Education Department, Govt. of Odisha. And as a bi-lingual poet he has published two poetry books in Mother Tongue ( Odia) and seven poetry books in English. Many poems of his own have been published in National and International anthologies, magazines and e-magazines.

I AM A GODDESS

Hello Dear Egypt

I hear of Nefertiti

A goddess of wonders

With myth, healing, sun and moon

Tell me more!

I hear much

Of air, fertility, wind, magic

A goddess of the sky

Water, Nile and safety

I want to know more!

I know of Pharaoh

I have heard of mummies

The pyramids and civilization

Arts, scholars, shrines, rituals and temples

O tell me more,

Egypt of signs!

Nefertiti, Queen or goddess, or both

Royalty, wife, dynasty, ruler or leader

So powerful, influential, natural,

My ears itch to hear and learn

O Egypt of ancient wonders!

Egypt of old creation

How wonderful, how amazing

I would not mind visiting,

When I do, please take me round

Show me your reality

And teach me history.

Oh, I am a goddess

I have no myths

And I believe in God Almighty,

I read the Bible

And follow its rules

O Egypt, native Egypt, peace be unto you!

© Ngozi Olivia Osuoha, Nigeria

Ngozi Olivia Osuoha is a Nigerian poet/writer/thinker, a graduate of Estate Management with experience in Banking and Broadcasting. She has authored twenty three poetry books, all published outside Nigeria, she has published over two hundred and eighty pieces in over twenty five countries, she has equally featured in over eighty international anthologies, and some of her pieces have been translated and published in Spanish, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Farsi, Arabic, Macedonian, Khloe, and other languages. Her pieces have been nominated for Pushcart prize, Best of the Net Awards, and she has also won some awards. She's a tailor, and some of her books are in some foreign libraries including the United States' Library of Congress. 

Poems By Ngozi Olivia Osuoha

 THERE IS GOD

In

I am afraid of life

Because it is a mystery

But I will make history.

I am afraid of friends

Because they are humans

But I will love them.

I am scared of tomorrow

Because it is unknown,

But I am hopeful.

I am troubled about the world

Because leaders are unfaithful,

And things change for worse

But there is God.

FEAR

Fear is a hole

It makes nothing whole.

Fear is a rocket

It scars the pocket.

Fear is a game

It can bring shame.

Fear is a price

It can come thrice.

Fear is a grass

It can burn the mass.

Fear is complex

It can tower to the apex

And cause a reflex.

LOVE

Love is humble

It makes royal,

Love is marble

It remains loyal.

A game of heart

Drawing the art,

Linking the chart

Clearing the mart.

If you make it a gamble

It will crumble

And leave you in shamble.

If you make it a garden

It will harden

And grow vegetations.

Love is a platform

It can reform,

Killing the worm

And cankerworm.

HATE

A day of hate

Destroys a destiny,

A time of rage

Kills a destination.

Hate is a ladder

It gets one madder,

Hate never makes gladder

And it pops up the bladder.

Hate strangles dreams

And embitters streams,

Hate buries hope

And murders the scope.

Hate is an enemy

It smokes like the chimney,

And hits the kidney.

Hate is a cage

It does much damage,

And leaves many in bondage

Throwing others into the drainage.

Beware of love

Be kind, do not hate

Then you will not fear

Because there is God.

MY COUNTRY

Come, cry for me

For I am troubled, so troubled

Come, cry with me

For I am in pain, so pained,

Painted, fainted, a dirty painting

A fainting that is draining me.

My country burns, burning in flames

My homeland mourns, mourning in shame

My fatherland is quaking

Quaking loud and aloud

Shaking the cloud and crowd.

Pray for me please, please I pray thee

My land bleeds in greed

Lives waste in hundreds

Tears overflow daily

Fears gather amidst

Nothing, nobody is safe,

Please pray for me, my people, and my country.

IN THE WINGS OF VIOLENCE

Hear the wind rage

See the rain raging

The thunder strikes 

Lightning gives horror

My people are swept over.

In the wings of violence

My land encroaches to war

Fighting, killing, maiming, raping

Hear war sing freely to us.

In the wings of violence

I hear innocence moan,

In the wings of terror

I see generations groan

Look deep and yonder

Leadership is terrorism.

Religion has beheaded us

Politics has bewitched us

Hatred, falsehood, fallacy, dogmatism

Hey! I fear now and tomorrow!

COLD WAR

We are at war

We are barely alive

They pounce on us raw

We are halfway dead.

A cold war so loud

The world is busy

So busy that we are insignificant.

The world is on

On, ongoing with activities

The world is on its wings

As we oscillate on swings.

Leadership is no more fair

Friendship is now a nightmare

Partnership is cruelty

Relationship is wickedness,

The world looks the other way,

As we dive and plunge into the abyss

Head on collision with death.

A cold war, within and without

Gold, hold, sold, fold, told and untold.

MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

True love from above

Flying like a dove

Divine wings 

Holy rings,

Spreading purity and trinity.

My real hero

Lifting me from zero

My pure strength

Guarding me at length.

Dependable and reliable

Capable and able,

Holding me down

Cleaning my gown.

My guardian angel

My golden apparel,

My Knight in shinning armour

My light in dark humour.

Lily in my valley

Family of my belly

My ally, my alloy, my envoy

Guiding me through the convoy.

Respectful, honest, decent

Godly, homely, humble

Lovely, lowly, my heart;

We can start any art.

WE ARE THE WORLD

We are the world

We live in heaven or hell

We are the world

We live or die.

We support injustice and greed

We buttress selfishness and violence,

We are the world

We do so directly or indirectly.

We preach love but live hate

We sing hymns but drop bombs,

We dance blues but play war,

We are the world

We sink yonder.

Look, we pretend a lot

And cover evil

We coat lies

And bury truths,

See, we are crooks.

We are the world

Except we face realities

Until we become real

Unless we decide to grow

This world would remain hell.

We ink, we drum, we act, we play

We sing, we pray, we party, all in hell

This doom booms

And the gloom, looms

Heed, we are the world

Let us make it a better place.

PROFILE

Ngozi Olivia Osuoha is a Nigerian poet/writer/thinker. A graduate of Estate Management with experience in Banking and Broadcasting. She has featured in over seventy international anthologies and has also published over two hundred and sixty poems/pieces in over twenty five countries.

She has authored twenty three poetry books, and some of them are archived in the United States' Library of Congress.

Some of her poems have been translated into and published in Arabic, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Polish, Farsi, Khloe, Macedonian, and other languages.

She is also a tailor. Some of her poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net awards.

MYSTERY

I wonder deep and get lost

As I wander far and via off

I derail and fail down the rail

Moving slowly like the snail

Yet get soaked in the rain of pain.

I cannot comprehend life

Events torment me to the bones

Circumstances drill me dry

Situations drag me in the mud

Conditions pull my muscles

I cry in fear and weep in wear

As mysteries throw us up and down.

Morals have become traps

Principles have turn delays

Self-discipline is now a grave

And self-control a disqualification,

I don't understand life

I can't comprehend mysteries

People take advantage of the meek.

No wonder majority follow the bandwagon

No wonder they turn a madding crowd

And create animal kingdoms

If that would take them to stardom

Or cure their boredom.

Help me, hold my hand

Let my head not covered in sand

Nor my face buried in shame

Let my feet aright, alright, rightly stand.

©® Ngozi Olivia Osuoha, Nigeria

Painting by Sandhya Dwivedi

IN-LAWS

Here is my piece for all

Concerning marriage,

No matter how blind your love

And how deep your feelings

Beware of where you go.

Culture, tradition, religion, tribe and race

Dreams, visions, beliefs, goals and passions

Ambitions, and aspirations, 

Understanding, care, and affection

All these make or mar unions.

Parallel people dare not bond

Opposite believers cannot merge

Infatuations and fantasies

Dreams, daydreams and realities

These raise alarms.

Pretence does not last

Lies flop along the line

Deceit does more harm

Charms fade with time,

Beware of demons in angelic robes.

Masquerades, wolves in sheep's clothing

Robbers in watchmen's apparel

Pedophiles as guardians

These ruin homes.

Cheating, infidelity, excessive rage

Violence, abuse, misunderstanding

Mistreatment, distrust, disrespect

Slavery, bondage, overdependence

Laziness, carelessness, and gossip

No home survives these hurdles.

There is always a boundary

Within, is acceptable

Without, is unbearable

Marriage is not for kids.

Sex, change of status

Having children and license to born

Flashy rings and costly jewels

Flamboyance and luxury

The makeup and makeover

They all glitter but are not gold.

Marriage is for mutual interests

Never is it for parasites,

Give peace and get it back

Sow love and reap same

Plant care and harvest so

Cultivate home and enjoy such,

A word is enough for the wise.

©® Ngozi Olivia Osuoha, Nigeria

Had I

Had I been around you.

To feel your scents of piousness,

That makes my inner child dance,

Like a damsel of remote village.

Had I been around you.

To feel your warm embrace,

That makes me feel sensual,

Like a bride of first night.

Had I been around you.

To feel your vibes of heart,

That makes me sing ballads of love,

Like the cuckoo of high hills.

Had I been around you.

To feel your prime of days gone by,

That makes me melancholic,

Like a solider, lost his friend in a war.

© Farooq kuchay, India

Painting by Sandhya Dwivedi, India