I see dead people They don’t know they’re dead Their physical body is still living And has not yet been shed They walk and they talk, They laugh, weep and they smile They occupy all walks of life And don’t always seem vile Their mind silences their heart Their intellect dulls their intuition It seems insignificant But it’s at the root of the human condition Listen to your inner voice Don’t leave everything to your head Or you’ll be walking with the living And not realise you’re dead. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
English
IF YOU LISTEN
You know? If you listen to a Person talk You will see the person’s mind walk A thousand miles with each word Mountains they climb, rivers they ford A world will open up like a magic book The more you see the less you look The flowers blossom into new thoughts Don’t think too hard, just connect the dots You know? Just flow. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
NATIVE TO YOU
God’s World is not foreign It is indigenous After you’ve finished touring You return to us God’s Law is not complex It is very simple Needs no super intelligence To do the needful God’s Love is not exotic It is native Homeliness is romantic Non-invasive You are not an alien In God’s eyes Be at peace with yourself And you will rise. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
I HURT BADLY
There are pains I could bear When I was younger Which I cannot bear Any longer When I was younger, I was tougher My heart could recover Now I’m older, I’m harder No longer a bender, now a breaker No longer a healer, now a hurter So I don’t engage Unnecessarily, I don’t bother I just turn a new page. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
THE MAGIC MIX
The world is so varied So many different types of people The mix makes the magic Each world as distinct as it’s equal The human spirit, what a strange species That God created and sent to Earth Further than the imagination can see Diversity and depth without dearth No one person, no one tribe No one nation, no one race Can bridge alone your great divide And still your thirst for a homely place Only all of us together can Not all at once, for we are separated But by going from human to human With an open heart from land to land Will the segregated inside you be integrated. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
JEWELS AND THORNS
Somewhere it‘s day Somewhere it’s night Some hearts are sad Some with joy bright But even as the world Continues to spin The happy turn sour The sad grow a grin Sometimes you’re glad Sometimes you’re down Jewels and thorns Adorn the human crown What makes us human? The ability to weep And then laugh again For our heart is deep. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
ZWEIMAL FRAGEN
Du kannst nur fragen
Zweimal sogar
Liegt Dir ein drittes Mal im Magen
Schweigst Du an ihn vorbei um ein Haar.
Du kannst nur zweimal fragen
Ein drittes Mal wäre bereits ein Klagen.
Teurer als in bar.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Im Jahrzehnt der deutschen Dichtung
THE OTHER CLAIRVOYANCE
Those who prepare See the future Preparation is clairvoyance Imagination is sight That’s why we call it vision Damn right Avoidance of annoyance How far into the future do you see? The next weekend? The next holiday? The next dopamine high? Pleasure alley. The next relationship? The next play? The next argument? The next promotion? The next opportunity? The time’s ever rife. The next idea? Expansion of vision. Old age? The next life? Eternity? How far into the future do you see? What are you preparing for? Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
ALL AND NOTHING
You cannot have it all
Appreciate what you have and give gratitude
The fruits that want to fall
The fruits that have to fall
The fruits that will fall
Let them fall
You cannot have it all
Where you have nothing appreciate your solitude
For you can never have it all.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river
GRATITUDE
Gratitude gives joy Brings joy Is joy Find your moment of gratitude today Try a change of attitude, and pray Climb unto a higher altitude. Gratitude is a thing of joy. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
Che Chidi Chukwumerije 