The light of the moon uncovers the night
Sends a shiver across the fur of grass
A sleeping tree awakens, turns
Reaches out with its strong, slow branches
Bristling with leaves
The wind suddenly holds its breath, in the hush
The night beats faster
The earth yearns harder, as clouds quickly gather
And the rain softens the dark.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
I chanced to look near dawn
Out of my sorrow
And indigo was the wall
Outside my window
Surprised, I looked away
From night, my widow
Then stole another glance again
At my tomorrow
Tomorrow was in mute concert
Briefly I am my cello
Confused at my own melody
My poem, my strange bedfellow
But night is sheared now finally
Soft day echoes my hello
And as I rise, my waking thought
Sinks away into my pillow.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
There is something
I want to write
– this has happened to me before –
That is:
It is the poet who wants to write it
While I, the pen,
Am yet in the dark
I only feel the heat of inspiration
The dark ink, flowing
The red blood, going
Somewhere
The wind, blowing…
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
Light, Light, yon distant star
Ever and on you move
Forward, forward, always so far
Away in the distant grove
You call, I come, and then you are gone
You beckon, I follow, all on my own
Love, Love, yon burning star
Ever and on you go
Forward, forward, near and yet far
And forevermore we follow
Who is in my heart? Who are you?
All I know is that I love you.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
I heard a whisper
Which made more sense than it could have
And less sense than
It did
I felt a touch
Which was more intimate than it could have been
And less intimate than
It was
I met a stranger
Who looked more familiar than he should have
And less familiar than
He did
I perceived an odour
Which smelled nicer than it must have
And fouler than
It could
And then I saw a tempter
Who seemed exactly like I knew
A tempter ought not to be
Yet I knew it was temptation
Because it never answered my smile
Not the smile you see on my face
But the smile
That lives, always silent, in my heart
And the tempter
Does not answer this smile
Because how can you answer
What you don’t hear?
The silent smile who waits so gentle
Resides in everybody’s heart,
And anything that answers not my smile
Is not mine.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
I just saw
The most beautiful woman I have ever seen
On earth…
I just heard
The most touching birdsong I have ever heard
On earth…
I just lived through
My most breath-taking dawn ever
Upon this earth…
I just said
The most beautiful thing I have ever said
On earth…
Yet my spirit only laughed
And whispered:
Even more beautiful could it yet be.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
The reflections of the things we love
Reside in our hearts,
A descendant of the primordial dove
Within everybody darts…
Dart on, dart on, star of heaven –
Eagle, dove or raven.
The reflections of the things we seek
Reside in our souls,
Be they bright or be they bleak,
Fulfilling their roles…
Play on, play on, lead us there –
We must pay our fare!
The reflections of the things we are
Flicker in our eyes;
An angel, a beast or a solitary star
That never ever dies…
Shine on, shine on, little star –
I know who you are.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
The things that inspired me yesterday
Still inspire me today
And will still inspire me tomorrow –
And yet
My poems,
Though they be of one mind,
Will continue to change and to grow
Because Inspiration
Does not change,
But I,
The poet, do.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
If you decide, and start
To do nothing
Your gods will help you to
To nothing.
If you decide, and start
To do something
Your gods will help you to
Do something.
Onye kwe
Chi ya e kwe!*
Nature will strengthen the fruits
Of the seeds you sow and grow.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
————
* Igbo proverb: “If you say yes, your god will also say yes.”
We came suddenly upon the path
Of the Faraway-man
We heard suddenly the flute he hath
Been using to call his clan
Birds, beasts, fish and fairies, all
Followed the Faraway-man
And man alone doth Heaven now call
The lonely faraway man.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije 