You made me a thousand promises
And heartlessly broke them all
But the Moment I will know the greatest sorrow
Is when you break that one vow
Which you solemnly made to yourself.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems
SIGNALS
Two Little birds
sitting on a tree
one flies away, one hops down
yet they both have wings
Two Little men
working in the fields
one is alive and one is dead
yet they are both in life
It is the joy of laughing that makes me laugh
not the funniness of your jokes
It is the wit of my words that makes you laugh
not the joy of laughing
It is the joy of living that makes me live
not the fear of dying
It is the fear of dying that attaches you to life
not the joy of living
Two Little rabbits
facing Mother-Wolf
one is scuttling and one is whining
yet they both have feet.
Signals.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije
CHANGE
Today we play on these strings, tomorrow
We play on different strings…
Today we hang from these beads, tomorrow
We hang from different beads
Today man swings to these beats, tomorrow
He changes to the swing of different beats;
And the lutes we finger are the same
Yet different, for the strings they hold
Have become different with time
Because every new day a new thing brings
And different hearts at different points will beat
On different strings.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
A FRIEND CALLED LONELY
Lonely becomes your friend
And you marvel
At his eloquence, deep and complex
Gnawing at your heart
Seeking the answers
Only you can give to him
To set him free.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
LIFE COMES IN CHAPTERS
Kidnapped
Is there still hope for me?
The sun sets sadly as slowly as he can
By the last light of day
Find a way
Did you see the baby that was stolen?
Did you see the boy that was broken?
However hard you look, you will see
No resemblance at all between them and
The man now woken, now walking.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
MUSIC PEOPLE
MUSIC
PEOPLE
LANGUAGE
UNDERSTOOD
FOR ONE
MOMENT
ONE MANKIND
ONE SPIRIT
1 LOVE.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
TRAYVON
You’re walking on water
Don’t think it is land
The tide is about to turn
Your feet into sand
Signals sent out over the earth
Kill them before they grow
There is a protection Claws in our justice
For a darker tomorrow
Subliminal messages
Password more valid than passport
What is the colour of love?
Blindness is just in court
Mankind will destroy humanity
And claim to be its saviour
And cunning will mask hatred
And none shalt love thy neighbour.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.
In Memory.
AS THEY BURN THE ANCIENT LIBRARIES IN AFRICA
Let them not remember
That we were not always here;
Let what we tell them
Be all they know –
They can get Independence from the West
If they want,
But not from the Middle East.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije
IS HELL THE WAY TO HEAVEN?
Never gonna teach nobody
Never gonna preach the Word
To no damn soul
I’m damned myself
Tired of pretending
To know the way to heaven
Maybe everybody should just
Go to hell – then we’ll all grasp
The way to heaven.
– CHE CHIDI CHUKWUMERIJE.
LESSONS FROM MY FATHER
1. Don’t be afraid to be on the losing side
2. Believe in yourself
3. Identify a cause you would be proud to die for – and then live for it
4. Exercise
5. Avoid the things that harm your body
6. Be on good terms with your family members
7. Know where you come from, and maintain a close relationship with it
8. Think strategically
9. Create opportunities for those less priviledged than yourself
10. Reflect on your path and change it, if need be
11. Think about Africa, for the danger is not yet over
12. Get an education
13. Work extra hard
14. Cultivate a relationship with GOD. He is.
15. Don’t be blindly tribalistic or racial. Look for the truth, and give your loyalty to It alone
16. Serve causes, not people
17. Be fearless
18. Be disciplined, and persevere
19. Be honest and straightforward, and follow the path of integrity
20. Have faith, and believe in miracles – there’ll be help along the way
21. Earn your own money, pay your own bills
22. If you have children, give them your all
23. If you get married, do your best to keep it happy
24. Strive for Excellence
25. Be at home within your own self.
– Che Chidi Chukwumerije
In loving Memory of my father, Comrade Uche Chukwumerije 1939-2015.
