2015

SUCCESS AND FAILURE

~ Che ~ Leave a comment

She had a promising career ahead
Of her but she lost that fire
And whether or not she found herself instead along the way
Is a subject of debate amongst her
Observers. She is different of late –

And then we all sat down and spoke again
About What is truly the Aim of Life.
Career? Money? Power? Fame? Or the search for God?…
Peace of mind? Is it mental and physical health? –
Love? Family? Travel? And experiencing?

Because we all go out the same way we came in
With hearts full of hopes and regrets.

–Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

INTIMATE ENEMIES

~ Che ~ 1 Comment

A day
Is a long way to travel

A truth
Is a deep lie to unravel

A kiss
Is a message of sorts
Friendship is a breaching
Of the law of torts

Intimacy is most intense
When you and your enemy
Break down each others’ defence.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije

DAWN

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I feel dawn
Like a song
I hear
Not with an outer ear

Like a light
Long before rosy twilight

Like an intuition
A budding perception
A forgetting
And a remembering

Like new birth
Upon the earth.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

VOYEUR

~ Che ~ 2 Comments

Manchmal sitze ich vor dem
Schönen großen Smart TV und
Beobachte nicht das Programm, sondern
Die eingebaute kleine Kamera drauf

Ein IT-Techniker in Lich, der
Hat seins zugeklebt. Die können
Alles sehen, hat er mich unterrichtet
Selbst wenn sie aus ist –

Ob das stimmt, wundere ich mich
Ziehe langsam die Unterhose aus
Ich sehe ihre tausend Gedanken
Und lenke sie von meinen ab.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

HAS THE ERA OF ACTIVISTS BEEN REPLACED BY THE ERA OF ARTISTES?

~ Che ~ 1 Comment

It’s cool to be cool. That’s all. Just be cool, suave, classy, be a star at being a star. Having nothing to give, but looking good at it. Having nothing to live for, to die for, to sacrifice for the sake of others, but looking damn good while doing this nothing and you’ll grab the headlines. It’s just cool to be cool.

Everybody knows all the issues – and they’re tired of them all. It’s you they want, because you’re so cool.

Artistes are the new Activists. Fashionistas are the new freedom-fighters. Stars are our new Saviours. Satan is probably the name of some new perfume I’m sure my girlfriend will like. I better buy it, ‘cos it’s so cool to be cool. You can never go wrong being cool.

What are you singing? Why all these lyrics on hunger, on poverty, on war, on injustice and inequality, on materialism? Who on earth do you think still has time for that? Just touch my dark side in a cool way, I’m good that way. Artistes have taken over the world. Bow down, Activist, your day is done!

What on earth are you fighting for? No-one really cares any more. Words never changed anything anyway. Just be cool and you shall rule. The freedom fighter is the biggest fool. Who says we’re not free? They should fight for the freedom of their own coolness. Then they’ll be really free of pressures, free of constraints, free of unnecessary problems. Because cool is the true upper class.

Where are those intuitions of yore? Those convictions of years before before? Where are those humans for whom being human is the sole goal? We have forgotten ourselves and become agents of our masks, the cool artistes. Who do you think you’re lying to?

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

MONEY

~ Che ~ Leave a comment

Money markets
The feet are far from the heart
Don’t get me started
I’ll never stop abusing you
I just can’t get enough of you

Why am I crying, you say?
I’m crying because my heart is cold
I’m crying because I feel no pain
I’m crying because I’m dying
And I don’t care.

I just like having it, owning it
Taking it, but I’m crying.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

POLITICS

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You never let the sun rise
Without it too making a compromise
Truths are protected by subtle lies

Give a little, grieve a little
Always grease a lot, take it all
In the spirit of we-sacrifice

Taboo and sacrilege you court
Hiding from safe place to safe place
Waving to your constituent electorate

But wait!, it’s a game, right?
Well played. You won again.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije

MENSCHHEIT

~ Che ~ 2 Comments

Ich strauchelte denn
Der Weg war deine Sehnsucht
Und immer wenn der Drang
Die Gänge überflutete

Gab es Krieg und wir stritten uns
Über Geld, Politik und Religion, Haben und Sein
Über KulturRasseGeschlechtKlassen und Familie
Und hielten Vortrag über Empfindung

Und feierten Gott und Gottlosigkeiten
Bis dein Drang anders gestillt war
Als ehrlich Schwäche zuzulassen
Und zu lieben statt zu hassen.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

PAPERMINT

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They say twisted minds don’t believe
When the way is straight
They draw back suspiciously and
Wait for wile and guile, to smile

The stiff alarm I ignored you
New you were lying, but still old you close
Paperminting fresh notes, suckers
That will get laid but won’t get paid

Flesh throaters singing of tribulation
I love to whip your twisted mind
Tongue lashes, reams of read streams
Streaks you shriek! Dream lines of silence scream.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije

PATRIOTISM

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A true Nigerian is someone who is constantly insulting his country – apart from when he is conversing with a Ghanaian, a Kenyan or a South African, or any other African for that matter.

In this case he insults their countries. After hours of reciprocal insults of each others’ countries, they go to a bar and have a drink together, and rejoice at having been born Africans. Then they part again, but not without first making an appointment for the next meeting in which to make fun of each others’ countries again.

Afterwards, the Nigerian goes back home to his fellow Nigerians and starts insulting Nigeria all over again; while doing so he praises the other African countries and laments that they are all making progress much faster than Nigeria.

This kind of behaviour, in Nigeria, is looked upon as intellectual patriotism.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.