When trust breaks The universe shakes The heart aches And aches and aches And aches… Because the poem has lost what it takes To ever rhyme again. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
Of Relationships
AFTERMATH
It took me a while to acknowledge and accept the betrayal. And the permanent change. It is what it is. But now that I have, I have. Now, we can successfully pretend, together and apart, that it never happened; and that we were never that close. Now the bond is broken. The intimate bond of trust.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Undulating Plains
BONDS
We belong to God, Not to one another. Possessiveness is flawed, No one owns the other. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
ONLY ONE PERSON
When only one person’s attention matters to you, only one person’s smiles and words and approval really matter to you, over a long and sustained period of time, then you know that your heart has really been taken and, even more importantly, your heart has truly voluntarily given itself to someone. Then you know you’re really in love.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Undulating Plains
INTERACTIONS AND INTERRELATIONSHIPS
Envy and Jealousy and Possessiveness. Distrust and Disloyalty and the breaking of Promises. Not knowing one’s boundaries. Untoward and unjustified claims upon the other. Intrusiveness. Space and vicinity. Balance. Knowing the line between giving and taking, between being there and crossing boundaries, between being close enough and being too close for comfort. Knowing which demands and expectations are legitimate and must be met, and which ones are too intrusive. Respect. Mutual respect. Consideration for the other’s nature. Making the effort to know the other better. Carefulness. Intimacy. Understanding the different layers and forms of intimacy, and knowing which ones to share with which people, which ones apply within which forms of friendship, which ones are exclusive and which ones are inclusive. You can connect with many people deeply, and each connection is different. But there is a certain connection that can only be shared with one, or none, at every point in time. Truthfulness and honesty and trust and bravery. Trust is a form of bravery. Reciprocity in our relationships with one another.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Undulating Plains
HEARTPEACE
She wanted to go with peace in her heart And I decided to give her that peace - Let there be peace in you when you part; If there’s a heaven, it is of it an inner piece And it is the only way to make a new start. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
WISH
The sun-blessed countryside
Green and blue far and wide
Wish you were by my side
Love is life’s most beautiful ride
When it died, I cried.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river
STOP ACCEPTING LIES
Stop accepting lies
Dressed up as niceness –
Humiliation lies
In falsehood, not kindness.
Empty conversations
Masking your blindness –
A Disappointed Soul
Will answer with silence.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river
THE HURTING SPACE
Allow yourself the space to hurt, To mourn, to miss what is gone; If your tears want to wet your shirt, Let them fall, and flow, and run. Give yourself enough time to heal, The heart needs a while to transform; To intuit, to perceive, to deeply feel Is for the heart simply the norm. Walk away slowly from your past, No need to rush, you’re not coming back. Take in everything, first to the last, And then continue down that one-way track. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
SOMETHING’S HAPPENING
New things start When you’re not looking Old things end When you’re not looking New things start When you’re not looking In Creation’s kitchen There is always something cooking. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
Che Chidi Chukwumerije 