Contemplation on the Odu Ogunda Ogbe (Ogunda bede)

When approaching the seed of a sunflower
one is left to ponder the burning question
what is the best way to consume such thing?
If done with fingers
it's not such an easy task
each shelling
without correct pressure applied
may crack both shell and morsel of goodness
and leave a mess
If approached only by using the mouth
a tangle of tongue and teeth can sometimes
coax the seed from its shell
but leaves one with a slimy mess
a combination of mouth, hands and teeth
can also work
loosening the diamond from its crater
but is a tedious and slow process
Each way
with its own merits
and drawbacks
can solve a problem
leaving us to contemplate the next quandry
Ifa is life
life is a bowl of sunflower seeds
waiting to be consumed

Contemplation on the Odu Okanran Irosun (okana rosu, okana irosu)

We are the accumulation
of millions of tiny decisions
whose cumulative affect
makes us who we are
like sand castles on a beach
built with a cup full of sand each day
Wind and water forever eroding
the creation that is our self
slowly building
some with moats to defend
others open for all to see
each one unique
sometimes finished
sometimes incomplete
we inevitably meet the end
brought by a rogue wave
crashing down
returning us whence we came
our sand to be used again
to build other castles
-- Marcos Ifalola Sanchez --

Contemplation on the Odu Ofun Ogbe

To move in stillness
allows the mind to exist
without expectation
adapting
like water in a pitcher
that takes on form without resistance
changing seamlessly when poured into a glass
the still mind wraps itself around eternity