Zwei Schritte vor
Einen zurück
Heute ist nicht
Tag genug
Nur Herz hat
Herz genug für Verstand
Langsamkeit, Schatz
Ist der Boden
Ist allein Boden genug
Wenn die Liebe es so eilig hat.
– CHE CHIDI CHUKWUMERIJE.
2013
DROWSY
My eyelids are falling
Like felled trees in the forest
My words are milky like drunken clouds
My breathing is slow and heavy like
A market woman’s feet in the evening
I am sleepy, drowsy, swimming and
I am about to fall awake –
Do you think I’m dreaming right now?
I can’t tell the difference
Do I write poems in my dreams
And forget when I awake?
The dream is the poem, a poem is a dream
I must leave you behind in the dream now, my love
Where my words will live on while
I wake asleep in the morning, in the morning.
– CHE CHIDI CHUKWUMERIJE.
OB DU DAS VERSTEHST ODER NICHT
Warum zitierst Du andere
Wenn in Dir selbst
Die Stimme spricht?
Hast Du Dich noch nicht verstanden
Wirst Du’s bei andern auch nicht
In Dir leben Fragen
Nur die darfst Du stellen
Nicht die Fragen der Anderen
Egal wie gut ihre geistigen Güter scheinen
Sind für Deinen Weg Deine eigenen die Besseren
Allein zählt die Liebe
Ob Du das verstehst oder nicht
Und die Bescheidenheit ist stolzer
Als das Stolzeste, was es gibt.
– CHE CHIDI CHUKWUMERIJE.
BLUE
She told me the tongue
Is the instrument of the heart
Learn to use it well, for song
And touch, to part and to impart
I tell you this, she said
Because you make my tongue restless
Then I knew what she wanted
A drink of tenderness
Blue was that night
And underneath the mango tree
Me warm me hands in her fireside
She sang of honey
Yet, though she’s melting me, watching me
Still my admiration is voiceless, deadpan
Words of flattery would be
A waste of woman.
– CHE CHIDI CHUKWUMERIJE.
TANGERINE
Brief was our meet
Thick and soft, quick
The covers fell
And when it was over
There were no seeds left over
That fell
No strings
No roots
No fruits
Yet something holds me still there
They way you smiled and sadly whispered
So you’ve forgotten me now.
– CHE CHIDI CHUKWUMERIJE.
YOU, MY RIVER
I see you in this moment as a river, flowing out.
If you touch it, it makes your fingers wet. If you drink it, you get thirstier. If you watch it, you never come to find out its wherefrom or whereto. If you dive in, it takes you to a place from which you can’t return.
So you have to be strong, and outriver the river and outthirst your thirst, for the river flows in you.
And if these words mystify you, then you understand the effect you have on many people.
But when you dive in, dive deep into the river’s bed and clench its roots with your teeth and bite, so hard, that it bleeds. Then will you see the river run…
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
LIFE IS A BURDEN MADE LIGHT
Life is a burden made light
By the weight of sacrifice
Your life is useless unless used to the full
For something meaningful and useful.
Self is heavy, selflessness is light
The battle is painless for them that fight
The volunteer’s prize is dignity
Freedom is not for free.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
from THE BEAUTIFUL ONES HAVE BEEN BORN
KNOCKIN’ BOOTS
***
Last night something strange
Cracked a door open on the wall
Of my memory, without even knockin’ twice
It came out of nowhere, suddenly.
A song, I was 17, house party
Whose house? I don’t remember any more
There she was, in the dark
Dancing with me, like I was the night wind
She a young tree, swaying, leaves shuddering slowly
Two shadows in a room full of shadows
House of teenagers about to wake up
From youth with only memories faded of yesterday
How long did this song quietly travel
Through time, to waylay me in that lookback moment last night
And take me back to that other night so many years ago?
Every memory I think I’ve forgotten
Is stored in some song somewhere, seeking me again
So don’t ask me why I’m dancing oldskool
Time is a candyman, stuck to your melting heart
Memory memory will knock your boots back
Never ever ever gonna let you go
Where is she now? My young mango.
She is a part of this song now
And last night I saw her, danced with her, again.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerijeem>
WEB OF TOO MANY WORDS
Left Simpli City
Travelled to Dupli City
Influenced by someone from Compli city.
So what’s the name of the whole country?
The Queen of Compli City
Was bored. She disguised as a lost maiden
And went to the King of Simpli City
Who fell in love with her.
She sweet-talked and brainwashed him
And he rode into Dupli City
To challenge the King of Dupli City
To a conflict of interests.
So, looks like Compli city
Was trying to use Simpli City
To defeat Dupli City
After having first compromised Simpli City.
How smart.
But of course the King of Dupli City
Saw through all this
And decided to play along.
Pretending to ride into battle
Against the army of Simpli City
In the full view of Compli City
Secretly he sends messages to Simpli City
Poor Simpli City, as it falls
Lost in the web of too many words
Not knowing whom to believe now
Compli City or Dupli City.
But underneath the ruins of Simpli city
Lies the ancient foundation of Tena City
Where a Child is born who says my name
Is different, my name is Clarity.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
GEWISSEN
Die allerschlimmste Strafe des Lebens
Besteht oft darin
Daß es uns den falschen Weg
Ungestört bis zum Schluß gehen lässt –
Keine Predigt, keine Mahnung
Tausend Hemmnisse
Reichen nicht aus, um das in uns zu erzeugen
Was das Mit- und Nacherlebenmüssen
Der Neben- und Nachwirkungen
Unserer konsequent bis zum Schluß
Durchgezogenen falschen Handlungen
In uns bewirken –
Deine Augen strafen mich
Täglich mit dieser Mischung
Aus Liebe, Schmerz und Verzeihung
Den verständnislosen Vorwurf
Macht mir jetzt von Selbst mein Gewissen
Jedes Mal, wenn ich mich daran erinnere…
So wird es sein, bis
Wir alt werden und in Frieden mit einander
Einst sterben
Und wieder jung werden…
Gewiss,
Erinnerung ist die stärkste Waffe
Des Lebens.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije 