Contemplation on the Odu Oyekun Meji

The afternoon light fills the room with

Warmth on this cold fall day

Jazz

Melts my brain like

Fondue on crunchy bread

Dripping my feelings onto the paper below

Silently

I enter the temple of the word

Heading straight for the

Confessional of a thousand pages

Baring my soul for all to

See

Looking for

Forgiveness

My contrition

A communion of paper and pen

Transpiring over and over again

Until there is nothing left but

Ashes

So I might rise again

Stronger

More hopeful 

Full of

Love

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Contemplation on the Odu Ogunda Oworin

I am angry

I am incredibly angry

I am unclear why

I am unclear at whom

Yet still

I am angry

This anger lives with me

Like dog shit under my shoe

I stepped in it

Probably more than once

Though I’m unclear when it happened

No matter how I try

I can’t seem to scrape it off

So I keep walking

The smell following me

Reminding me how angry I’ve become

Maybe it was the hundredth time I was told

No

Perhaps it coincided with that loss of whatever

Semblance of control I had over my

Destiny

I understand you

I know why you

Opened the door to that

Monster

Filled with anger

Blinded by rage

Seething with hatred

You wanted to let it loose

You wanted to make them feel

Like you feel

Maybe that would give you back

Some of your power

Problem is

When you light a fire

You have no idea where the

Wind will blow tomorrow

Wildfires

Like monsters

Are pretty unpredictable

More likely than not you’ll end up

Engulfed in flames

Or eaten by the monster you

Let in

Before you decide to

Unleash the beast

Sit in silence

Channel your rage

Focus yourself before the fires

Consume you

Side note

To you other folks who claim the

Moral high road

Stop

You too are

Feeding the beast

Instead of freezing up or

Building an impenetrable wall

When faced with the fury

Try listening

Try asking questions

Try understanding

You might find that

If you can dilute the poison

Sufficiently

It can no longer kill the 

Spirit it targets

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This Poem Called Life

Enjoy

Contemplation on the Odu - Ofun Obara -

We all have days where
No cave is deep enough
No crowd is large enough
No forest is remote enough
To hide us from the world
Let alone ourselves
Foot firmly in mouth
Hand in honey pot
Action before thought
Or worse
Thought then action
We're left standing
Alone
Ashamed
Naked
With only our stupidity to clothe us
Slowly but with steady hand
We can weave new clothes
From the strands of wisdom
Scattered about our heads
So we might regain some modicum of respect
For others
And most importantly
For ourselves

Contemplation on the Odu Oyekun Ika (oyekun bika)

These are brutal times
These are terrifying times
These are times like no other
Scream the oppressed from the minarets of their mind
Only to wake up moments later
Alone in bed
Face buried in pillow
Crying to an audience of one
Nothing changed
Each generation's downtrodden
Fills the oceans of despair with their tears
A painting drawn over and over again
Each time with new faces and backdrops
Different yet oddly similar
When viewed from a distance
Eyes blurred
The mind sees our problems
Remain unchanged
Oppression
Greed
Fear
Judgement
The strange irony is that
More often than not the powerless
When given power
Act very much like the oppressors they
Fought just days before
There is not a single one
Among us
Who has not given in to the temptation of
Judgement
It is sadly
Human
In fact I would wager many of you are
Right now
Judging me for these words
Change is not made in
Minutes
Hours
Days
Change is made in
Months
Years
Decades
Don’t for a second think you are
Better than your oppressors
They too were children once
Suckling on their mother’s breast
We can only do this together
We will only survive by
Recognizing the demons that
Live within us all
Remaining vigilant in keeping them at bay
Always thinking to ourselves
There but for the grace of Luck go I

Contemplation on Odi Meji

Sometimes our choices
Weigh upon our hearts
Like a dense fog
Settling on a desolate midnight road
Usually there's nothing to do but
March forward knowing
Night turns to day
Inevitably allowing the sun to
Burn through

Contemplation on the Odu Odi Ika ( Idi Ika )

I’m not happy knowing

You’ve simply read my words

It doesn’t give me pleasure if

You skimmed a passage or two

I won’t feel accomplished because

You’ve heard about my work

That means

Absolutely

Nothing

I want each line to

Punch you in the gut and

Knock the wind out of you

Leaving you gasping for more

I want my ideas to

Rip apart your reality and

Litter your world with crushed beliefs

Forcing you to rebuild your mind 

Slowly

Thoughtfully

Brick by brick

I want these visions to

Release you from the jail of your existence

Leaving you free to breathe truth

So deeply your lungs burn and

Tears stream from your eyes

Broken

Is just another word for

Potential

Lost

Assumes you need to be

Found

Alive

Isn’t just a passing state

It’s how you should feel

Every moment

Climb your mountain

Reach the top

Scream to the world

I 

Am 

Me

Contemplation on the Odu Otura Osa

Songs of summer waft gently through my ears
A cacophony of chirping in the air
Melting into a crescendo of cicadas
My symphonic past
Draws me inward
Pictures painted on the canvas of
Yesterdays from a distant past
Where has it gone
My youth
Replaced by a new cast
Different
Echoing my stories with their own
There is something about
Returning home
Familiar
Different
Memories surge then fade
Like dark chocolate that finishes
Sweet and bitter on the palate
I am not who I was
Though I have always been me
Here
I am just a ghost
Passing through

Contemplation on the odu Odi Meji

Wrapped in your flurry of
Tea driven madness
I caught your eye
Like tea leaves
Hitting hot water
Melting into a
Sweet release
Freeing the
Aroma of you
into the afternoon air
Close your Assam soaked eyes
Let loose your tightly curled thoughts
Savor the bitter sweet notes I created for you

Contemplation on the Odu Odi Obara

What is a memory?
It has weight
Though it can't be put on a scale
It has form
Though it can't be seen
It has emotion
Though it can't laugh or cry
It has voice
Though it can't speak
It is our past
Though it is always present
It is real
Though it only exists in our minds
It is unique
Though it belongs to everyone
It is a riddle
Though it has no answer
It is the key
That unlocks the door to
Truth

Contemplation on the Odu Obara Iwori

Two lefts then a right
Or is it
Two rights then a left
I navigate my middle years
Like a lost tourist
Stunned by the
dizzying array of
Sights to see
Places to go
People to visit
As I fumble
Here and there
I find the maps I bought
Useless
Outdated seconds after my purchase
I take comfort
Knowing at the end of the day
I'll come home to you
Thank you

Contemplation on the odu Oworin Meji

The more difficult a thing is to obtain

The more value we put in it

The more rare a thing is

The more we are willing to pay for it

The more others desire something

The more we desire it

Unfortunately that often makes us

Victims of scarcity mentality

We often acquire

Things 

Partners

Friends

Based on perception

Not reality

Decide for yourself

The worth of a

Thing

Partner

Friend

Based on reality

Not

Scarcity mentality

The measure of a person is not their

Acquisitions

But the happiness and love they creat

Contemplation on the Odu Osa Okanran

Today

My shoulders sag

soaked and heavy

Life’s rainfall

weighs me down

My bones ache

I am weary 

stiff

The pressure of existence

Leaves fissures big and small

In the walls I’ve erected

I barely keep up

in this dance called life

two steps forward

one back

one step forward

two back

I move

going nowhere

a dance paid for in 

blood and tears

we all play

we all pay

we must

Somehow

mysteriously

I am certain the

Sun

will shine through the

cracks

if only for a moment

giving me hope

that tomorrow

it won't rain

and I will once again feel 

lightness

 

Contemplation on the Odu Oworin Ofun

I find God

in the mundane

everyday moments 

the smell of coffee

a cool breeze

warm bread with jam

the setting sun

getting lost in a book

walking with those I love

God also lives in the

Shadows

when I am lost 

when I struggle

when I fear the darkness

God is not good or bad

God is just a name 

given to the miracle of 

existence

We are born from 

chaos

there is no

master plan

I am lucky

many are not

So

I will try and cherish

my gift graciously

because God

is also

the nothingness

from whence we came

and to which we will

return

Contemplation on the Odu Ofun Oshe

It doesn't take a

Pretty person

To make someone feel

Beautiful

It doesn't take a

Rich person

To make someone feel

Wealthy

It doesn't even take a

Smart person

To make someone feel

Appreciated

It does take a

Loving person

To help someone feel

Amazing

Give love

Freely

Accept love 

Graciously

Nourish every soul

So that we leave this world

A better place

Then when we entered it

And when given the choice

Between love and hate

Choose love

It's the only

Truth

Contemplation on the Odu Oshe Obara

There stands a tree

up on the hill

above my house

inhabited by a 

flock of parrots

Each day they

clamor and sing

chirping and imitating 

the passers by

much to their

surprise

So good are they

at the voices and sounds 

that people often turn 

as if hearing 

ghosts

They're not so 

different

from us

We are often just

parrots living in our trees

Blindly repeating what others say

Don’t give in to your

inner parrot

find your own voice

and sing your song

unabashedly

and 

loudly

to the world

Contemplation on the Odu Ika Oyekun

This morning I 

Woke up

And the world seemed

Different

This morning I

realized

Life was my

Cup of coffee

Sometimes cold and bitter

Sometimes warm and sweet

Black as darkest night 

Or 

Light as desert sands

It filled my mouth and

Washed away my

Slumber

Today

I woke up and 

Tasted this gift I'm

Living

Today

I started the

Rest of my

Life

Contemplation on the Odu Oshe Iwori

What is
Art?
A question often asked
and rarely answered
however there is only
one thing to say
Art
True art
is not about
beauty
since defining beauty is both
illusive and meaningless
Art
is when the artist
reveals to us
by any medium
a vision of
ourselves
When even one person
sees
hears
feels
tastes
smells
your creation
and is able find
themselves
in it
you have created
Art

Contemplation on the odu Ofun Okanran ( Ofun Okana )

If you hope to see

the ballet

don’t purchase tickets to 

the circus

no matter what the salesman

promises

a clown in a tutu

remains

a clown in a tutu

even if you squint

really hard

when leaving

don’t be shocked

when you step on

something 

stinking and foul

with so many animals

entering and leaving

the stage

it’s inevitable that one will

relieve itself 

in an inopportune spot

Welcome to the 

circus we call life

where someone is always willing to

part with their

money

power

mind

all in the name of

advancement

too bad they’re not the ones

who’ll advance

Contemplation on the Odu Ogunda Odi ( Ogunda idi )

Love
war
two sides
same coin
each creates such
chaos and confusion
that even the most
seasoned veterans
can lose their
way
Blanketing our minds
with a thick mist
lines become blurred
and simple decisions are
anything but
In those moments when
the world is turned
upside down
stop
breathe in
and release all
illusion
Let wisdom clear your
sight
and lift the
fog of love

Contemplation on the Odu Owonrin Obara (oworin obara)

The creases in my hands

Grow deeper

Brown and worn 

Giving voice to thoughts

without uttering a sound

Passing ideas

Through time and space

magically connecting 

you and I

physically

visually

mentally

a philosophical symphony

conducted on paper

With pen and ink

Listen closely 

as they narrate

the never ending 

tale of humanity

and you might find

me

more importantly

your might find

yourself

Contemplation on the Odu Ika Ogbe ( Ika gbe )

We all

want to love

and be loved

Not worshipped

not praised

not put on a pedestal

even if sometimes we 

think 

we want those things

The problem is

we often put obstacles

in our own path

But

You can break

free

Quiet your mind

close your eyes

see like the blind

without physical shape

to cloud the true nature

of another

Listen to the music

of their life

if you are struck

with inspiration

dance without fear

and you might find

they will dance

with you

that

is

love

Contemplation on the Odu Eji Ogbe ( Ejiogbe , Ogbe Meji)

Our lot

Our destiny

Our successes

Are made from 

5 simple ingredients

Sadly, most only recognize

The first four

Intelligence

Persistence

Timing

and

Hard work

It’s the fifth ingredient that is

the most important of all

Call it what you like

Luck

Chance

Chaos

No one can escape it

In fact

Our very existence

Is subject to it

So before you 

Pat yourself on the back

For a job well done

Give luck its due

Humility may not save you

But it might make you

A better person

Contemplation on the Odu Odi Okanran ( Odi Ocana )

We have
given in
to our basest selves
When we allow
madmen and charlatans
to hold court
We have
lost our way
in a darkened wilderness
When we allow
blind fools
to carve our path
We have
forgotten humanity
When we allow
ourselves
to ignore the weak and vulnerable
How did we get here?
More importantly
How do we leave this
wretched state?
Lest we fall victim
to the same demise
of so many
who lived before us
Forget your differences
and remember
We are all
Mothers
Fathers
Sons
Daughters
Brothers
Sisters
We are all
Humans
Who need
care
and
love
If we are to
survive

Contemplation on the Odu Irosun Ogbe ( Irosun Gbemi )

We have survived the

Bootcamp called 

Childhood

Indoctrinated

to believe we 

know

what is

and isn’t 

Right 

A bundle of raw

nerves

programmed to

play our part

In this dark comedy

with no end

Taught to

love

or hate

accept

or reject

fear 

or embrace

what society

deems appropriate

More often than not

unaware of the

Fluid nature of

Truth

Some days 

we are lost

having accepted

“truth"

without 

thought 

Our world shattered

incapable of

putting back the pieces

of a puzzle that 

changes from one moment

to the next

Our only 

Salvation comes from a  

small quirk of the

human condition

Goodness

Buried in varying degrees 

in each of our 

Souls

A bump in the road

waiting for us to 

stumble upon it and

Save us

from ourselves

Waiting to set us truly 

Free

Contemplation on the odu Osa Ofun

Under cover of night 

My insecurities launch a

Sneak attack into the

Jungle of my mind

Invading my

Consciousness 

Half paralyzed by sleep

And unable to mount

A proper defense

I'm forced to experience

My innermost fears

Sometimes mundane

Other times terrifying 

My reality is torn apart 

And my soul laid bare

Like carrion for the

Vultures of anxiety

To feed on

But with the dawn

Comes rebirth

As I wake to find

My world is not

So bleak

The light of day

Cleansing my vision

So that I might see a

Path forward 

And live 

another

day

Contemplations on the Odu Osa Oyekun

Three thoughts on a day of change

There is no right thing
Just the next thing
…
While so many
paint the world in
black
and
white
reality is more like an
unsupervised child
with no paper
and an endless supply of
finger paints
in a word
messy
...
Chose to
live your life
in between the
notes
It's where the real
music happens

Contemplation on the Odu Ogbe Otura

Habit is a demanding
And reckless lover
Seductive and tender
Just before abandoning
You in a flurry of abuse
But fear not
Soon enough
it will return
Apologizing for the various
transgressions
Filling you with hope
And sweet promise
As the cycle
begins
anew
Wash your eyes
and see things
for what they are
only then will you
cast off the anchor
that weighs you
down

Contemplation on the odu Irete Ogbe (ategbe)

Follow me
I’ll open the door
To a place you
haven’t visited
for some time
A world above
the clouds
and beyond the moon
hidden in the mind of
a child
Let's take a train
you and I
while sipping tea
and nibbling scones
as we journey
through the stars
to a metropolis
in the sky
Where elephants fly
cats play chess
and you can
enjoy an espresso
with an antelope
Before you leave
don’t forget
there’s a small bookstore
you must visit
Mr. Kurguin’s House of
Chai, Books and other minor miracles
A simple shop
with an unassuming entrance
though a bit difficult to find
Step inside and you’ll see
a world of possibilities
amidst endless stacks of books
big and small
as far as the eye can see
Here
There
and everywhere
Mr. Kurguin
will guide you
a quiet old man
with a mischievous smile
and a twinkle in his eye
meanders the forests
tending to his
garden of thoughts
wander until something
catches your fancy
then sit a spell
with a cup of
smoky Russian tea
Lost in the pages
a portal to
another place
You may forget
the time of day
months pass in a
heartbeat
There is one thing
I surely know
you'll never leave
empty minded
and your journey
home
will be filled with
adventure

---- Inspired by the art of Elise Hurst - illustrator, artist & children's author

Contemplation on Ogunda Ogbe ( Ogunda gbede )

We are all

wounded birds

Of a sort

Filled with insecurities 

Collected like stale

Breadcrumbs

Scattered after so many

Failed attempts 

to find our

Way 

It is our

Nature

To seek

Answers 

It's what makes us

Human

Look inward and

realize

your faults 

and mistakes

but remember

Don’t shoot the 

messenger