Segun Ozique

 She is usually asleep When gently, noiseless you lower you Next to her, you Are sometimes numb By habit, the patina of self-indulgence From having too many drinks spinning the ceiling Promise as promises are to quit by the next outing The black frost of outsideness, being with the boys The pull,  to get cuddled by them; the flattery and jabs To keep from not doing it one more day, chilly So, the resisting resilient walls of, 'not again,' crumbles, It was in all, an apostasy, of superficially bendable resolve   Now, you are at the embankment Of bedclothes, where she used to be In sleep braces, her honied fragrance against Your mixture of all sorts of bad beer breath Slowly on the weakest days, you feel as if it was Her own warmth surfacing or the ferment of her Body like old, in the dark beneath the cover sheets Steals in; spilling into your consciousness bit by bit To break down that loneliness and the chills You turn to want to hold h

  Overwhelming challenges currently confound nations across the world Troubled by criminality , insecurity, debts, decadence, and deception   The lovely life we dreamed of adorned with joy has turned to misery Caused by past sloppy plans, acts of unruliness, and then loss of values             Today, at different levels, we all seek places of comfort and retreat Pondering where to look to, to find the Noah’s ark as we await disaster   All such thoughts of gloom and doom are where hopelessness resides The right reactions, a positive attitude, and return to good values bring hope   Facing the reality of life is acknowledging that living comes with lots of pains Same as having faith is, knowing you can, like the wind, change your fortune   Hope is to hold on tight to all ropes, avoid failure and not give in to misery As avoid living in denial is same as not hiding like the ostrich, heads hidden   It is faith that perceives sunshine amid a troubling stor

My craving to be a Writer started in Primary school but I got devoted in secondary school. I had a schoolmate, Ifedi Obidiwe, God bless his soul, he is dead now. Usually, we would buy second-hand novels, or borrow from friends, then challenge each other on our ability to read and remember, the skill to critique the story or the competition could be on how fast we can finish a book. We started very early on as we both discovered we liked reading novels. Then it used to be pamphlet novels by Writers like Onuora Nzekwu; ‘ Eze goes To school,’  detective novels by Writers like, Nick Carter. Then when we could no longer get novels by Nick Carter to read, we switched on to James Hardly Chase, etc. As we grew older, the bigger the book or more complex, the better. The competition even took us to a reading poem by Geoffrey Chaucer! The competition was fierce and we genuinely did all we could to outdo each other. But in all, despite the ferocious competition, etc, we remained friends, extreme

 Nigeria, my Nigeria what wind is this we scent in the air  Blowing its way from slugs to danger, gathering storm Wheedling tropical fragrance with the wheezing of cannabis, The dry breeze of soon-to-be fermenting political potions is about   Tastes like sour wine and spoilt lobsters Blank and worn-out is the texture Disease-ridden are the hands that steer the infusion   Brewing in the air are songs of war most know nothing about We only can think as far as the story heard and read in books Of delicacy of raw casava and leaves stuck in the teeth of the eaters, Of ravished land and empty stomachs bloated, and filled with winds And decent attiring defined by coverings like the virgin jerks of Abuja,   In the mix is a soft voice of caution calls behind darkened glasses Voice and sounds of mothers and lasses to bear the outcome brunt, Voice of sensibility is often ignored or habitually taunted like little children   The story has been told that to save

  Some grow to believe family are of friendship and blood bonded Believe that when one is sad, saddled with bad breaks to deal Or when one basks in the sunshine of laughter, or in the rain of fortune To the family that combines a rainbow of love, care, and support to turn   We ought see family as the cherished tree that all contribute to tender A pulp planted with love swelled with memories and dreams of treasure Rooted, and cultured to care for the leaves, fruits, and branches This is the family dream; a comforting place of our wish to trust and depend   As you can have friends who have hearts filled with rage, hate, and hurts So family carries a baggage of bile of bitterness, though roots remain as one And as one needs to keep close, and integrate faithful friends into one’s schedule So too that, to stay sane, nurturing well-being, wise to keep faithful friendly family   True, family as a building block of society is a most fulfilling and dependable fall

God was with us at USS Enugu His insight oversaw and saved us from youthful exuberance His bleeding, our protective sacrament Our cries and waves of laughter He heard and acted on with sticks and carrots He was a taste we savoured and pray to do the same as we meet.   Many of us who were in Uwani, the stony field of academic leadership that produced excellent professionals in all fields of academics, acting, writing, and sports; freighting us far and wide in the world today, would never see our old classmates again without reunions of some sort. So, reunion events such as the Surulere meet to provide a chance for us to catch up with old mates, get to know ourselves as adults, and reminisce about memories from school days. Reunions are vital times, providing rare opportunities to reignite and reunite our humanity to our spirits through sight, dialogues, and laughter, all of which I pray to add comparative meaning to our lives’ experiences and objectives. Reunions reinfor

 It’s only natural that we all want to say something that represents all “incredibly emotional,” and special kind words about the dead as we all reflect on the death of an Aunty called Paulina. The children would hear blended calls and texts about the role of her motherhood, ‘caretakerhood,’ unbridled friendliness, and many other wonderful things about our dear aunt, including the bond shared among family members- a bond unlike no other, eulogized. Please, remember that CANDOUR was her GOSPEL, etched in her DNA and passed on to her children who by the way, as we all mourn, still have the responsibility of taking care of their ailing father. So, for all those extremely emotional, limit your tears to your quiet places, and display the anguish, grief, regret, sorrow, wails, woes, or “negative energy,” in private. Spare to share them with the children. They need truth, sincerity, no bulls, devoutness, faithfulness, guilelessness, and honest-to-God supportive “positive energy.” Do

 Dear Aunty, I write to inquire about your abode in heaven Here we still are in mourn of your sudden departure Also in discussions of your life a living testimony and Of your words apt, golden, sweet as songs in a musical   The space you left is not empty because of your funds of love Chest of investment assuring not to stare at empty slate Wisdom, you taught helping to navigate life and to live by Now we turn new pages to live our lives without you   Your smile as opposed to your frown remains as magical Your light stays on as the belief you taught stays strong Your life, still a living love of compassion spread and shared Do please let God know we await you as our chosen angel   In life, as witnessed, you were a bridge backbone of peace Bluffs aside your heart was pure, tender as your soul true You enriched a multitude in divine direction to do His will Therefore, I join us to pray that He Grants you eternal peace   Adieu, dearest Aunty.

  She was A sweetheart; a leading light with a gospel of candour A giant; depiction of homeliness, yet a frank fountain; With a presence like diamond, even at a casual contact She was, Wife, mother; sprinkler feeder to all famished souls Sunlight to shades like gentle cooling rain to heat Seed Sower soul of humanity, and adorably unique She left A woman, who remains, we pray, by His grace; a bridge A woman virtuous, righteous in immeasurably measures A woman who through, to gain benediction of His grace.

 My roving thoughts as I sit at my computer blank-page Are of three unmistakable FSAS musketeers: First up, Kunle Oriyomi I saw as spotty spatsera youth Typical Lagos happy-go-lucky expansive cracker Who now in maturity is spinning logic-rigged audacity Genuinely generous to a tee, though not whimsical And the cherry on the cake; the old spin has not stopped Then, there is Kenny Bakare the Corinthian, an amicable one Still the steering personality; a spinning events wheeler His place, old mates find conducive to feast and play And Dapo Olowu, the enchanter; amiable as portable Now turned a robed, wigged, and jurist packing a punch Who despite the height of the ladder climbed, stays humble I find the little many things they are gifted, endearing Like morning dews that gather water in drops They all have turned natural down to earth brilliant minds Forthright, as to call a spade as it is rightly named, yet kind Helpful in deeds as delightfully empathic i

  Happy I am you no longer would be hungry Happy your sacks today are laden with gifts Happy the road to home no longer is weary Happy all that has come to you pleasantly a lift Happy is, of the time spent in outpouring prayers Happy you no longer are weighed down or bent Happy times you dutifully waited and today the pay Happy is your head now of glorious crown, no not lent Happy that in so doing, He did openly to all eyes to see Extent people of good will cling to you, a woman blessed That happy you asked, He said He would, and did as He said And, now your footsteps’ no longer Snowflakes tan: Blessed

  The morning today, I started in shock From being a witness to a darkened Dreaded and barren dream To refraction of my darkened cloud So, I have stayed smiling and joyous To have escaped the grave in my trail I’m cheerful, not out of content But that I berth at gladness bay That my heart is in the rapture is What unconditional love does In angel Gabriel, my brother God’s grace has healed my pang

  Some grow to believe family are of friendship and blood bond Believe that when one is sad, saddled with bad breaks to deal Or when one basks in sunshine and laughter, in the rain of fortune To the family that combines the rainbow of love, care, and support, we turn   For we see family as a cherished tree and all contribute to tender A tree planted with love, with memories and dreams of treasure Cultivated and rooted to care for the leaves, fruits and branches This is the wish; a comforting family of our goals to trust and depend   As you can have friends who have hearts filled with rage, hate and hurts So family carries baggage of bile of bitterness, though roots remain as one And as one needs to keep close, and integrate into one’s schedule, faithful friends So too is, to stay sane, nourish, and nurture one’s well-being, do the same to family   True, family as a building block of society is a most fulfilling and dependable fallback. However, it is not