More Contemplation on the Odu Iwori Ogunda (iwori aweda)

The unexamined life

Lacks the ability to

Clearly distinguish

Truth from illusion

Contemplation on the Odu Okanran Owonrin (Okanran Ajangbila)

To kneel and pray
Can not preclude
One’s ability to
Stand and think
When it does
We are inexorably led
On a journey into
The darkest corners
Of our being
Though they appear to be
Diametrically opposed
Belief and critical thought
Are the two sides of a mirror
That make us human
One side reflecting who we can be
The other who we are
True Religion
Is an ever evolving guide to
Navigating the path
From one to the other
Always requiring
Self reflection
Never
Blind following
Because the unquestioned life
Is no life at all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjzZ_0KSYVg&t=2s 

Contemplation on the Odu Oturupon Ofun

I am Lost at sea
Adrift in the currents of life
Thrown back and forth
In a small boat with no oars
Wet
Cold
Tired
Yet filled with
Determination
To get
Somewhere
This loneliness inside
Seeks the companionship of
Shore
A harbor from the world
Where Grace arrives unbidden
Where my burdens are shed
Like wet clothing to
Dry in the sunlight
A short respite before
I continue my journey
We all need
Rest
We all need
Safe harbor
Sometimes
Remember to leave your heart
Open
To be surprised by
Grace


Best read when listening to:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7zV8gXmH14

These things I know to be true

To my beautiful sons
I hope these words find you
When you are most in need

And I am not there to 

Guide and comfort you

That their truth provides light

When the dusk obscures your path

Of these things I am sure
Love is not enough without honesty
Dreams are sacred
Regret is a slow poison
Trust in yourself is a practice
Happiness must be shared and never hoarded

Life is now so live it

I will forever be with you

Further contemplation on the odu Osa Ogunda ( Osa Kuleya )

I do not journal
The thoughts and ideas
That have taken roost
In my head
Instead I paint poems
Of birds in flight
Soaring across the
Expanse of my
Imagination
High above the trees
Observing the routines of men
The clothing changes
But the faces remain the same
Across centuries
Still struggling with
Life’s biggest questions
Slowing inching towards
Enlightenment
Even if it never comes
Only the raven knows
The secrets
Enlightenment does not exist
Time is the mind killer
Life is now
Live
Free

Listen to this while reading: 

Contemplation on the Odu Ogbe Oturupon ( Ogbe Tumako )

The depravity that can grow in the 

Human soul

Is often matched by the ability to

Dissociate from it
Thankfully
It is also matched by our

Capacity for love and kindness
What defines us as

Human

Is our ability to

Choose

To listen to while reading/contemplating:  

A new contemplation on the Odu Ofun Meji

We are all
Manifestations of our shifting perspective
Gathering data along the way
Changing priorities like
Clothes with the turning leaves
Nomadic shape shifters
Moving through time
To parts known and unknown
I will never be who I was
I can not know who I will become
Until one day
All that is left
Is a memory
In the minds of
Others
Flickering
As it too
Fades into
Eternity

Written to "The wanderer" by Max Richter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lmCgFA-GQs