Be ready to forgive insults Even before they come Knowing they will come From children and adults Who are a part of your way For this too is a part of the way You must travel to get results. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
Poems from the inner river
YOUR HEART IS A CUP
You will daily be given enough strength To grapple with the challenges of the day. Do you know that if you in focus don’t relent, You can have many days in just one day? How wonderful is God. WHAT is He indeed? For Creation, His Work, is full of unfailing Magic - Your harvest is ALWAYS the product of your seed. Thus, to live without high drive and light-purpose is tragic. There is a river, do you see it, or sense it? We are always walking beside it. Our heart is a cup. To water your flowers, you may draw water from it; But if you stop watering your flowers, your river dries up. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
I CANNOT REMEMBER
I cannot remember all the good I did
I cannot remember all the evil I did
People remind me
As you go through the world today
Be mindful of the things you say
And do to those who cross your way
People will remind you one day.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river
COME CLOSER
I don’t like to get too near to people Because it pushes me far away from them; When you get really close to the moon, You see a gloomy rock, not a glowing gem. Yet, courage!, wanderer, be bold of heart! One who will find must seek everywhere, Must brave the ugly to discover deep beauty At the core of the things we love and fear. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
BEFORE YOU
You always think you’re the first When you are young, How startling it is when you grow up To realise you were wrong. So many people before you Have these same heights traversed - Some recorded, many unrecorded, Their stories long dispersed. Tread the earth with humility, O modern day human; Stonehenge and Egypt’s pyramids Transcend our acumen. And when you are still young, Be thankful as you add new value, For you’re building on the foundation Of all that came before you. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
THE END NEVER ENDS
The character of the end One month passes one year passes 10 years pass Still no sight no word no message No communication That’s when it sinks in That was really the end He is gone Gone for good. The disappearance of friends Ends are Not Trends The heart never mends The end never ends. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
CHANGE CHANGES CHANGE
There is something about change Once it starts, it is irreversible The inexorable march is strange Like a Divine verdict incontestable You see it happening yet you cannot stop it When you try to stop it you only develop it Even faster and make yourself expendable. There is something about change It is is surreal. Unreal. It is strange. Change changes the parameters of change And never changes in the same way. Change changes change But never changes it in the same way. And never stops changing. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
WAY BACK HOME
Don‘t mourn me when I die Wave me goodbye I will be going home If I miss my way home Then I will come Back again to retry. So don’t mourn me when I die I did not come to stay I came here to find my way Back Home. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
BEYOND PAIN
Pain they say is your friend But it is also your enemy. Be careful when it starts to bend, It can break you completely. Take small breaks from your pain Every once in a little while. Laugh at yourself or with a friend - If you can’t laugh, smile. Tell pain enough is enough When you’ve learned your lesson. After washing, turn the shower off And you can now start dressing Up, stepping out and showing up, Changing your narrative. Not pain but joy is the overflowing cup That we drink to eternally live. Che Chidi Chukwumerije Poems from the inner river
LAUGHTER IS NOT MIRTH
Laughter is not mirth
Fame is not worth
Friendliness is not friendship
Fronting is not leadership
Distance is often the closest vicinity
From which to clearly see
The true nature of a person’s humanity.
Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river
Che Chidi Chukwumerije 