Sometimes it‘s just a word that’s missing At the right time and everything goes wrong Hurting sounds like hissing Caring sounds like dissing Whispering sounds like kissing And confirms what you knew all along. But someone will cross your path today Who needs a smile Someone crying for help will be in your way For a little while Just a word, a look, a smile, a friendly touch Will help them another mile. Share your night and your fright Share your might and your right Share your sight and your insight And share your plight and your flight Share your fight and your bite Share your height - and share your light. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
Of Maturing
HURT
Love hurts. Life hurts. People hurt. People hurt people. And hurt people hurt people. And when it hurts too much People begin to avoid the touch The inner touch Sometimes they permit the outer touch But only perfunctorily as such Because even it hurts too much. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
YOUR LADDER OF POEMS
A poem at a time Gradually I climb Out of my well of wishes Out of my well of clichés Out of my well of unbeing Into my wellbeing. Don’t let the machine write your mind Think for yourself or you’ll grow blind What you seek is what you’ll find - Moving on, don’t leave your true self behind. AI might be the future’s tool - But stay human and don’t be its fool. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER
For whom shall I write now? For whom shall I fight now? Who shall shine the light now That illuminates my heart? Lovers don’t turn into friends, They turn into strangers. Life the gardener tends Both safeties and dangers. But when November ends, December births mangers And shines new light to my heart. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
LITTLE STEPS
Healing takes place in small steps;
Pause and breathe a little, it helps.
Be thankful for the experience to grow,
There is still so much you don’t yet know.
Wise words don’t stop the pain, I know;
Hang in there, son, just go with the flow.
Things that don’t want to stay, let them go –
Accept that the absence of yes truly is no.
And look how far you’ve come,
See how different and clear you’ve become.
The thing that kills one part of you,
Awakens and strengthens the new you too.
But when you eventually get up and go,
Don’t look back, son, shut that window.
Little drops a mighty ocean do make;
Little steps you a long way shall take.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river
VANISHING
Don’t come back after I’ve got used to your absence
Your absence has become your strongest presence
If you return too late you’ll only find yourself gone
Replaced by memory, you’ll be the invisible one.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river
HAPPILY
Happy wife, happy life. Happy Ex, happy Next. If you don’t want stress, Spread Happiness. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
WORK CYCLE
Value from work Dignity from value Peace of mind from dignity Peace in the world from peace of mind Cooperation from peace in the world Ideas from cooperation Work from ideas Value from work. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
LOVE HURTS
If love hasn’t driven you mad Then you’ve never felt love before If love hasn’t made you unbearably sad Then love has not yet pierced your core If love hasn’t tested the line you had Between the good and the bad and fundamentally changed you forevermore, Then yours isn’t love, just a lore. And the most astounding part Is the dull ache somewhere in your heart and the cold ashes that remain when you walk down memory lane. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
ALL BECAUSE OF LOVE
We make mistakes And mistakes make us Who we are This is who we are We make decisions And decisions make us What we are This is what we are We make friends And friends make us How we are This is how we are We make love And love makes us Why we are This is why we are. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
Che Chidi Chukwumerije 