PARALLEL UNIVERSES

When a person just doesn’t know how to tell you the truth, they simply stick to the lie. From start to finish. Even if they want to tell you the truth, they don’t know how to, they don’t know where to start because the truth runs on a completely different storyline and separate lifestyle, opposite reality and parallel universe. It will hurt you deeply and completely overturn your view of life and of them. Or so the person thinks. But if only they would try you, to see a new person emerge and a new powerful authentic relationship form.

Starting with a lie is always a slippery slope, a rollercoaster ride. It is nervousness and heart palpitations from start to finish. It can be exciting and exhilarating, until it becomes human and personal. Then it becomes a chore, a nightmare, a heavy load, and a puzzling sphinx, a difficult riddle to solve. Tell the truth and shatter the other person’s reality? Or maintain the lie and allow it to eat you inside and gnaw at the other person’s gut instincts, and prevent both of you from ever forming a true bond? And yet, only the truth liberates.

There will be a humanity one day of honest human spirits who live, share and relate in the light of truth always and in all things. Deeply and simply. Inside and out. Individually and as a society. The most fundamental truth we owe ourselves as human beings is the truth of how we really are as a person. This is the basis of all relationships and of society and of a possibility to one day have a reflection of Paradise on Earth. A home away from Home.

Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Undulating Plains

QUIETLY

Is there any hope for me?
Good Friday not so good.
A deep slumber of mystery,
A soul troubled to darkly brood,
A distracted mind of matter,
But knock knock, knock on wood,
Who’s there to lovingly shatter
My illusions? For truth is food.
Wake me up before you go -
Resurrection will upon crucifixion intrude:
Resist injustice, rediscover my glow,
Because, inside, I’m in a sunny mood.

Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river

ALLES AN DIR

Alles schlucke ich runter
Nur Dich nicht
Alles spucke ich raus
Nur Dich nicht

Bist Du draußen, bleibst Du dort
Bist Du drinnen, bleibst Du hier
Fest gewurzelt an Stelle und Ort
In meinem Herzen, in unserm Wir.

Wenn ich Dich ablehne,
bist Du noch da;
Wenn ich Dich annehme,
bist Du nicht da.

Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Im Jahrzehnt der deutschen Dichtung

SHOW YOU

Show people who you are
So that those who want to go will go
And those who want to stay will stay
And those who want to come will come
And those who want to keep away will keep away.

And when they show you who they are
You will be hurt by some who go
And be pleasantly surprised by some who stay,
You will be amazed by some who come
And you will not even notice those who keep away. 

Show people who you are
And they will show you who they are.

Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river

MISSVERSTÄNDNISSE

Das Leben besteht aus Missverständnissen,
Sie sind der Treibstoff tollster Geschichten.
Sie sind die Bausteine unserer höchsten Erkenntnisse -
Wir sind einander halb begreiflich wie Gedichte.

Wer sich noch nie missverstanden haben,
werden sich gegenseitig nie wirklich verstehen.
Je näher wir uns kommen, desto mehr schlagen
unsere Unterschiede aufeinander aus Versehen.

Desto mehr sehen wir die Lücken
und lernen, uns gegenseitig zu beglücken.

Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Im Jahrzehnt der deutschen Dichtung

A NEW LIGHT

You appear, a new light,
Hesitant yet persistent,
Dimmed and yet bright;
Curiously observant
Because it feels so right.

Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river

NACH DEM STURM

Das Herz ist leer gefegt worden
Eine Straße nach einem Sturm
Abuja riecht nach frischem Regen
Öffnet sich nackt mit stiller Charme
Und erinnert mich an etwas, das nie war,
sich aber so anfühlt, als wäre es gewesen
Und jetzt, wo es vorbei ist, wird mir klar
Alles ernst zu nehmen, was ich einst gelesen.

Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river

THE DULL ACHE

It is a healed wound
Or healing
While it yet crooned
I was feeling
You did your worst
To my inner child
Eligwe did burst
Sanctuary defiled.

Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river

STILLES FEHLEN

Manch eine Nacht ist still –
Rege ich mich auf, wie ich will,
bleibt mein Herz ruhig und still.

Die Schmerzen schmerzen nicht mehr;
Das halbe Herz ist voll, die andere Hälfte leer –
Du fehlst und wirst fehlen immer mehr.

Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Im Jahrzehnt der deutschen Dichtung

DEFLATION

It‘s a strange feeling when you stop caring;
You look for it inside you, it’s no longer there.
The heart grows cold and stops sharing,
And lies overtake the spirit of truth or dare.
It’s a strange feeling when you stop fearing
To lose what you love the most to have near.

What has freed you leaves you feeling empty;
The answers are few, the questions are plenty;
But the urge to know has suddenly died recently. -

Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river