2016

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO LIVE WITH A STRANGER?

~ Che ~ Leave a comment

You cannot find like-minded people
Until you know your own mind
If you know not what you seek
You won’t know when you find
You will walk with your enemies
Your friends you’ll leave behind
You will feel no sense of belonging
Wherever you yourself bind
For without a sense of orientation
Or self-knowledge, you are blind.

And then there are those that will say:
You must stick to your own kind

So some stick to their race
And some to their nation
Some to religion and faith
Some to culture and tradition
Some stick to their gender
Some stay in a certain generation
Some remain within a field of thought
Or choose those of like inclination
Some share in an agenda
Some an intuitive perception

Some are united in what they seek
Some are united in what they find

Some will leave you when they find you
Because it is themselves that they seek
Some will seek you when they lose you
Because it was you who took them to their mountain-peak
And showed them their inner freak
Because – give me a break –
Who on earth does not secretly
Want to be a freak?

You like the taste of many soups
And are a part of many groups
And yet nobody knows who you really are deep inside –
Not even you yourself, with whom you always abide.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

BRIEFLY HUMAN CORPORATE BEINGS

~ Che ~ Leave a comment

Upon every Passenger that comes my way rests the weight of a wish borne. Some carry with them, over oceans and continents, desires they have nurtured – sometimes unconsciously – from infancy. Yet they must upon a time bear fruit. If I were to consider every one a book, rich would be the language that riddled their many pages with tales of many tails. And yet we say to one another “Good day”, “What can I do for you?”, “Just a second”, and things like that as we drown our entire humanity and history in silence during a moment of business service or corporate interaction.

But once in a while one will come my way who looks into my eyes as though we were both human and, as we address the issue of his baggage, his ticket, his itinerary or some other such stuff, we talk about music, the arts, sports, history, headline news, but never in detail of course about politics or religion. We don’t have to anyway. Little things show one already where and how each person stands.

And then the day will pass and many other customers will come and go, and nothing wrong or below standard will be said or done, but only that one customer will remain in your memory who spoke to you about music, literature, the arts, sports, his family, your history, some headline news, but never in detail of course about politics or religion. It wasn’t necessary. Little things leave the biggest impression.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

ZUR RUHE KOMMEN

~ Che ~ 1 Comment

Es ist interessant
Zu beobachten
Wie sich meine Träume im
Wahrsten Sinne des Wortes
Entfernen…

Und nach dem Zusammensturz aller
Hoffnungen, schloß ich die Augen
In der Erwartung in mir die
Leere zu finden,
Doch siehe: ich war noch voller
Als je zuvor. Und wunschlos
Glücklich.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

ALL I NEED IN THIS LIFE OF SIN

~ Che ~ 2 Comments

There is something about being different –
People can’t place their finger on it, can’t say why…
Some think it’s your colour
Some think it’s your hair
Some think it’s your religion, your culture, your upbringing and education –
Whence is the origin of that which is deeper than style?

Well, when God sunk me, a melody,
Into the soils of soul searching
He must have watered me with the laughter of your wellspring
Because you are my taste
When I feed upon His Word –
Ssshh, I say no more.

Blessed be he, that wandering bard,
Who in sweet swansong sighed and said:
“All I need in this life of sin
Is me and my girlfriend.”
I know what you mean, Tupac.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

DEN FRÜHLING RIECHEN

~ Che ~ 5 Comments

Ich habe
In der Distanz
Frühling gesehen –

Zitternd, wie ein gebrochenes Herz
Zitternd, wie ein heilendes Herz
Zitternd, wie ein mit Hoffnung pochendes Herz

Neue Hoffnung,
Denn ich glaube an Dich.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

ALLES UND NICHTS

~ Che ~ 2 Comments

Das Äußere
Das Veräußerte

Das Innere
Das Verinnerlichte

Mein Bruder sieht nicht aus, wie ich
Der Fremde aber könnte mir Zwilling sein

Wegen des Geäußerten
Das immer Vieles aber nie Alles
In sich verinnerlicht preisgibt.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

LEIDENSCHAFT

~ Che ~ 6 Comments

Eine gute Beziehung
Und eine schlechte Beziehung
Haben eines gemeinsam
In beiden wird gestritten

In der wahren Liebe
Und in der falschen Liebe
Geschieht dasselbe
Es wird gelitten

Wem das eine fehlt
Der sucht so häufig das andere
Gib mir Freude oder gib mir Schmerz
Alles, nur diese Leere nicht, meine Liebe.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCKING ON WHOSE DOOR?

~ Che ~ Leave a comment

Opportunity is temptation
Take not every one that comes
It knocks but once, they say
But where does it open into?
Stay on your path.

When in doubt,
Listen inwards.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

INTIMACY

~ Che ~ Leave a comment

How many people live in
Your household?
Just you and your partner and
Perhaps your children too?
Love children of all types.

Or do your friends too
Live with you there?
And have your parents and families too
Openly or secretly moved in and
Joined in your decision making?
And are strangers the ears of
Your intimacy?
And is the world with you in
Your privacy?

And yet you continue to wonder
What went wrong on the
Threshold to Paradise
And where did the intimate home go?

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

MITEINANDER

~ Che ~ 5 Comments

Ich bin Fremder in Deutschland
Und bekomme es zu spüren
Weniger ist mehr

Doch die Da-zugehörigkeit
Sie überwiegt
Siegt.

Nie sah ich die Menschheit
Einig unter sich
Und man sagt, ich habe schon mehrmals gelebt
Seit Urzeiten mal hier
Mal dort
In vielen Menschenherzen, ewige Kultur

Immer gab es einen Grund,
Zwiezuspalten
Und das Miteinander immer wieder
Neu zu gestalten.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.