Don‘t slip on the ice,
Be careful when being nice
To strangers on the way,
For the way will waylay
The unwary and open heart
For whom niceness is the chart.
Temper your eagerness
With a measure of carefulness,
Protect your friendliness
With the practice of watchfulness.
Niceness has a reputation
For being an open invitation
To those who take to take again
Not caring if it causes pain.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river
Pay attention to the signals That people give you; Take them seriously - The signals won’t deceive you. No one says everything; They leave it to you To figure it out if you’re smart And paying attention too. And above and beneath it all Your own inner voice Will analyse the signals and more And make its own choice. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
You have enemies you don’t know, They get to your friends behind your back. Those friends whose friendship was hollow Succumb to them and join in their attack. You have friends you don’t know, They‘re there for you when you need them most. They fight your fight, share your sorrow, Rejoice with you, sometimes invisibly like a ghost. You are not and never alone, You are a part of many stories and memories; Your life is an enrichment of someone else’s own And is enriched by others’ and their testimonies. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
Realising you’ve been deceived Is very hard to believe Because it looked so real How it made you feel But that is the first rule of deception It must never look like deception When you look at a wolf clothed as a sheep You don’t see a wolf clothed as a sheep You see a sheep. Everything around you Could be a cover created to confound you. Our wishes, insecurities, vanities, memories, Propensities - they all block our senses. Assumption is the filter of consciousness. Worse, presumption. Everything is a dress, And who or what is wearing each dress You will learn by experience as you progress. But as you become more knowledgeable You ironically also become more gullible. You are stunned, as you learn and grow, To realise there’s still so much you don’t know. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
Fight to live Force yourself to forgive Weigh what you give Let it come from the heart But let it not be too heavy Not everyone can bear the weight Of your true inner state There’s a lot on your plate But others have their own plate too Be light sometimes Be easy sometimes Let people smile sometimes When they think of you As they too fight to live. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
You cannot be a man - or a woman - And go through the world Without the world going through you You cannot deal with people Without people dealing with you You cannot tackle your task Without your task tackling you You cannot handle issues Without issues handling you You cannot finish your mission Without your mission finishing you. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
Truth is so powerful. There is almost nothing That you cannot forgive a truthful person. It’s a strange phenomenon. What is hurting You is healing you, is teaching you a lesson. Even while suffering, you can’t stop trusting. Something about them awakens respect in us. Truthful people fascinate the coward in us, Inspire the warrior in us, touch the human in us. In the depth of their sin, yet they carry the cross. Even at their worst, they’re still the best of us. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
The smiles of strangers along the way; Eyes that touch with a friendly look briefly - Just a few of these silent greetings a day Change the feel of the city, lighten it greatly. And they are there, just enough of humanity; Partake in it, for life is rushing by so quickly. Joy-givers are preservers of human dignity. Every day is a gift. Use it wisely. Be happy. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
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
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
Che Chidi Chukwumerije 