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Monday, December 4, 2017

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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Tuesday, November 14, 2017

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

Friday, October 27, 2017

Buy my new book of Contemplations on Odu Ifa.

It's official. My book of contemplation on Odu Ifa is available. To purchase, please go to blurb with the link below.

This Poem Called Life

Enjoy

Monday, October 23, 2017

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

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

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

Sunday, October 15, 2017

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

Saturday, October 7, 2017

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
Am 
Me

Thursday, October 5, 2017

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

Sunday, October 1, 2017

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

Thursday, September 28, 2017

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

Saturday, September 23, 2017

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

Monday, September 18, 2017

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


 

Monday, September 11, 2017

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

Saturday, September 2, 2017

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


Friday, August 18, 2017

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

Thursday, August 10, 2017

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

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

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


Monday, July 31, 2017

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

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

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

Monday, July 17, 2017

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

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

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

Thursday, July 6, 2017

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

Sunday, July 2, 2017

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

Sunday, June 18, 2017

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

Saturday, June 3, 2017

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

Friday, March 3, 2017

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

Thursday, February 23, 2017

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





Friday, February 10, 2017

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

Sunday, January 29, 2017

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