There will be hope But the heart must cope First with a season Of conflict sans reason This moon is long faced And tied to a dead sea Rolling scrolls misplaced By startled history. You must be patient Time is clairaudient It hears your heart beating And your footfalls repeating The dance to victory. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
Of Journeying
DON’T WAIT FOR PERFECTION
Don’t wait for perfection Before you set off Imperfection is what you need To make you tough! The world is wild and windy The way is very rough For the one who seeks fulfilment This is enough. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
PERFECTION IS FOR THE COWARDLY
Perfection is for the cowardly Perfection is for the vain Perfection is for the insecure Afraid of the rugged terrain Perfection is for the talentless Unable to handle the unknown Perfection is for the clueless For the lazy follower, the drone Give me imperfection at dawn The origin of the day and the way Give me imperfection at dusk The source of tomorrow’s dream. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
OUR MINDS
Boarding another person’s Train of thoughts… What a ride. Places and passengers of all sorts - It’s hard to know At which station to jump off Before you go mad Without missing all the good stuff. Che Chidi Chukwumerije
TRAVELLER TRUTHS
The Truth can only be found By those who are seeking it A mistake can only be learned from By those who are making it Full exposure is only feared By those who are faking it A road can only be understood By those who are taking it The Truth can only be echoed By those who are speaking it. Che Chidi Chukwumerije
RESTLESSNESS
Good Morning To every urge that always makes you get up; Good Morning To every discomfort that has never let up; Good Morning To every dream that lifts your head up; Good Morning To every memory that makes you fed up With lying down lamenting and self-compromising While the day is dawning and the sun is rising; Good Morning to restlessness, The twin-partner of purposefulness. Get up! and keep seeking to reach, or grasp, the Horizon - No matter what you have found before There is always something more. Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Read also the book: THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING MORE
HOPE TO BE FOUND
Line your pockets with seeds of hope Find purpose when you secretly grope through your hidden emotions, touch one, touch all, no emotion is too much, no matter how intense. The deeper the grip, the closer it is to the reaper - And you are the reaper of what you sow. Empty your pockets of what you know As you walk the road leave a flower trail The Grail finds you if you seek the Grail. Che Chidi Chukwumerije
GOING SOLO
Once he doesn’t care anymore All the beauty in the world becomes a bore Every tender touch pinches a sore Promises of true love sound like folklore. He walks out forever through the door He totally overturns what he is living for When he has been wounded to the core Every woman now seems to him to be a whore. Fitting in with the act turns into a chore He rips off the mask which once he wore The mask his heartbreak from his heart tore And breaks away from the naive days of yore. An angel or a demon? Neither nor. Be yourself or die trying? Either or. Whatever else life may have in store He’ll carve his own way now to heaven’s shore. Che Chidi Chukwumerije
SEX IS SECONDARY
Sex is secondary Mission is primary It is not who shares your bed but who shares your path you should wed Or you’ll suffer the aftermath. Che Chidi Chukwumerije
NO HOME AWAY
I walk through the valley of pain on my own
By the time friends come I’m already gone
I am All the colours between black and brown
Call me Africa or call me Diaspora, a birded song
Fly without perching, there’s no home away from home.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river
Che Chidi Chukwumerije 