People are already on a path when you meet them, On their own path, with their own mission. You think they’re walking with you, but then Suddenly they jump off at some junction. As strange and disorienting as it seems to you, The truth is that it was not a new decision That they took. They were never really with you, They were always going in their own direction. You were just entertainment along the way Or brief company, and victim of an illusion. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the Inner river
Of Social Beings
THE LOUD CROWD
The loud crowd Is soft to my heart Their warmth is gold When they smile they hold My heart with love untold In their family fold. Good people don’t need To be perfect to lead - Their goodness leads you home. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
NICENESS
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
PEOPLE’S SIGNALS
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
MANY STORIES
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
ASSUMPTION IS THE FILTER OF CONSCIOUSNESS
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
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
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
THE POWER IN THE COURAGE TO BE TRUTHFUL
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
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
Che Chidi Chukwumerije 