DeepWaters

It was about 18 years ago, when we moved into a developing community. Beyond our house was nothing but a thick forest. We learnt the sounds of woodpeckers foraging for insects. Some days, we would get to see an African parrot perching on the electric pole. We were careful for snakes and scorpions, strange lizards and other kinds of creatures. As scary as it were  but exciting because we didn't experience such adventure while we were living in the heart of the city. One morning, some neighbors woke up to find their livestocks dead. While others woke up to find their palm fruits (Banga) missing or partially eaten. What could have happened? No one knew. This kept on happening night after night.  It was like a plague. It seemed weird because the livestocks were taken out of the cage without it being broken. Some of the indigenes  believed they must have offended the gods and they must offer sacrifices to appease the gods. One afternoon, while playing outside with my...

Hear the rumbles from chains falling never to rise again. See through the mind of the chain-breaking abolitionist. This is our spirit reflecting strength and courage. No more escaping to dens. The rhythms of Africa is the sound of nature. Hear the Ouds  of Algeria or the talking drums of the sub-saharan. The polyrhythms of the Mbira and Kalimba, which the likes of Arthur Jones could not resist. You can tell of our heritage from flying flags. Where shades of green  tell tales of growth and plenty. Gold tells the stories of love,  courage and compassion. Red tells no tales but truth of fallen heroes of a distinct past.

Once upon a cell, tells the story of a survivor. Over a dozen stages, through pain and fervor. Once upon an exit, from darkness and solitude to a new life, to light and aptitude. Once upon a creep, once upon a first step, once upon a leap, so the story goes. A one way journey, with more than a zillion words. Challenged but brawny, to touch a zillion souls. With help from above, to live out a purpose. To love and be true love, in any way possible.                                                                                                                            

        I just couldnt step out of the house without having my make-up done.  I found those colors irresistible and I wished to use all of it if need be.   It got to a point where I'd clean and wipe and wipe and re-do and yet I wasn't satisfied.  Still felt like I wasn't beautiful enough.   I would start all over again and before I knew it,  I'd spent over 30 minutes trying to get it right.   It so happened that those mornings where I had to go on errands early enough before having my bath,  I usually get complements from unknown guys.  This don't usually happen when I have my make-up on.  It got me puzzled.   I began having mixed feelings about the use of makeup and one morning after struggling to get it right,  it got me really upset.  And I said to myself,  I can't do this anymore.  I think it is hypnotic.  I must have been hypnotized.   Why can't I go out without having ...

It was always satisfying to watch things flow through the water after it rains.  We would pluck leaves  or make paper boats and place them in the water and run after it to see how far it goes. We would see how it get tossed and runs down the slopy road and overcoming obstacles and it seems to appear like  it doesn't care.  Most times we do not know the fate of that single leaf and we always believed it would get to the river where the water is chanelled to. Man's life stops when he dies.  This means that,  as long as we are alive, there's always an issue to solve,  bills to pay,  friends to make,  meals to prepare,  jobs to do,  places to go,  honors to achieve,  degrees to attain,  family to cater for,  illness to treat,  troubles to avoid and a position to fill. Some of these activities come with a lot of challenges and sometimes it hits hard.  So many bills to pay at a goal and so many mouths to fe...

Love is a beautiful thing. It causes people to sometimes love others even when they see how evil they are. We could say the heart acts differently when it's in love. The same goes for a church girl in need of love and a steady relationship. But she desires to have one with a church guy but soon find herself attracted to one who was an active member of the church. Not until they got involved, she never saw his evil ways. Her eyes were wide opened, even at moments where he put her in positions where she had to compromise her faith in the name of ' I love him'. She discovered who his true friends were and they were not God's  children. They drank and feasted with the devil and made her to feast too. She knew it was all wrong but still didn't want to leave. She knew she couldn't leave with her own power but with the help of God. And God brought her deliverance.     Many have walked that line and never came back. We should not be blinded by our feelings. Our...