LINES AND VERSES

“Do they want to do it to you too?” Maraiya reluctantly emerged from her troubled thought. She didn’t want to tell Dala she had earlier wanted everyone including her off the way. She had deliberately left an obvious sign of repulsion that only Dala, to her frustration, seemed impervious to. Why she won’t just leave me alone, she begged silently as gazed at Dala. It was that kind of day that the sun was worshipped. All morning the African winter had had the little valley town blanketed with hash, hazy wind plus just enough bone-chilling cold to make everyone wish they never came out to work. With the sun slowly peering out of the cold, dusty cloud – a large number of feisty little boys were about on the large village clearing chasing an oblong plastic ball in the most disorderly manner, some risking their bones in daredevil somersaults just to heat-up. The girls were more benign in their little clapping units with a common understanding ringing out in a song: “oh ma darli, oh ma ...

We start the journey of love, craving for perfect things; the hugs, the kisses, the touch – pray cupid for a perfect shot; the one with the fairest face, that one with the brightest smile, so our dream will come alive. But life has something to say, though you find that angel someday – angels, they don’t stay. We hold our dreams to heart, if we only will find that one, then life would be complete. But if you do not find a flaw, perhaps you should search again, for angels don’t stay, and no one plays the angel for long. The road to perfection is made of imperfections. You must open your eyes to the flaws, you must touch the flaws, you must know the flaws, and then you will know the MAN. For the only angels we can be, are ones with failings and flaws. We start the walk of love, with all the wrongs in place; we fail to know that loving starts with you giving. Subscribe to POETICALLY SPOKEN by Email

Whisper – again if you can Say to me those silent thoughts Eager for words May be not to please – But let them out subtly, tenderly Or a little kindly, if you can Just in case you have to Take them back at a conscious time Or when all anguish is lost to a new day And then, perhaps, our mutual rue We will quietly seal and tuck away In our closets of wavering amnesia Whisper, if you will For thoughts, good or sad Are better said with little air 2011 © Jude Ifeme Subscribe to POETICALLY SPOKEN by Email

Smile when faith is shattered in the storms Of scorn and questions wipe out all the answers Smile when all fires no longer burn Smile when new adversities are born Smile when your dream comes to zero And the face of cowardice is worn by your heroes Smile when there’s despair in the air And all that remains is a strand of a loved one’s hair And when it is most unbearable to do Sigh a muted sob in honor of pain And then smile 2011© Jude Ifeme Subscribe to POETICALLY SPOKEN by Email