BRIGHTNESS UP AHEAD

There’s brightness up ahead
Curiousity and hope instead
Of shuddering tears we shed
Instead of feet that walking bled
And never a word said.
But now there’s brightness up
Ahead and an overflowing cup
And a loaf of laughter for my sup.
If you look deeply you’ll see it on my face
That my heart was caught by His grace. 

Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river

DON’T GET LOST IN THE DARK

Don’t get lost in the dark
Wait for the mist to clear
The emotions never speak the truth
They are always informed and biased by feelings
You just have to wait for the mist to clear
It takes a shorter or longer time to pass
Depending on your nature
And depending on the circumstances
Just don’t get lost in the dark.

Azuka Chukwumerije

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER

For whom shall I write now?
For whom shall I fight now?
Who shall shine the light now
That illuminates my heart?

Lovers don’t turn into friends,
They turn into strangers.
Life the gardener tends
Both safeties and dangers.
But when November ends,
December births mangers
And shines new light to my heart.

Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river

PASSING RIFFS

Little moments of life
In the corners of strife
Little stripes of light
Hidden out of sight
Hope is a melody, a song
Where we all belong
Sing along, old and young.

Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river

YOU MUST BE PATIENT

There will be hope
But the heart must cope
First with a season
Of conflict sans reason
This moon is long faced
And tied to a dead sea
Rolling scrolls misplaced
By startled history.

You must be patient
Time is clairaudient
It hears your heart beating
And your footfalls repeating
The dance to victory.

Che Chidi Chukwumerije
Poems from the inner river

HOPE TO BE FOUND

Line your pockets with seeds of hope
Find purpose when you secretly grope
through your hidden emotions, touch
one, touch all, no emotion is too much,
no matter how intense. The deeper
the grip, the closer it is to the reaper -
And you are the reaper of what you sow.
Empty your pockets of what you know
As you walk the road leave a flower trail
The Grail finds you if you seek the Grail.

Che Chidi Chukwumerije

Poems from the inner river

SEEING THROUGH

One of the downsides of seeing through humanity
Is that nothing inspires or excites you anymore
Or fills you with a sense of expectation…
Because you always bear the sad certainty
Within you
Of knowing how things are going to end.

One of the upsides of seeing through humanity
Is that nothing disappoints and shocks you anymore
Or fills you with a sense of hopelessness…
Because you always bear the the quiet recognition
Through experiencing
Of knowing that things always re-start.

Che Chidi Chukwumerije

ETERNAL SUNRISE

When the Darkness wakes up in the morning, the first thing it does is to look out of the window, see the Light shinning outside – and become full of anger, envy and rage all over again. 

Because yesterday when night fell and it went to sleep, it made the great mistake of thinking that the Light is now dead.

The Light is never dead. It will rise again. It is we who turn our backs on it.

But it will rise again.

 – Che Chidi Chukwumerije 

There’ll Be Help Along The Way (LIVE)

Live @ Summa Summarum Musikkeller Frankfurt 14.02.18

(V.1):
I remember
When the news hit me back in September
Daddy’s going home
Father father
Tell us will this be our last December?
Speak a word of hope

(CHORUS 1):
There’ll be storm and there’ll be rain
There’ll be tears and there’ll be pain
Keep on striving night and day
There’ll be help along the way
Those who have no fear to fail
Are the ones who never fail
Though they fall they’ll rise again
There’ll be help along the way
… way way way along the way

(V.2):
Have a vision
Live you life with purpose and a mission
Never never give up
Stick together
Be your brothers’ and your sister’s keeper
And keep your faith in God

(CHORUS 2):
When old friends have gone away – (way)
And new friends don’t feel the same – (same)
Yet stay on your lonely lane – (lane)
There’ll be help along the way –
Heaven helps who help themselves – (selves)
Don’t keep doubtig your success – (cess)
Just be faithful to your fate
There’ll be help along the way
… way way way along the way

(SAX SOLO)

(CHORUS 3):
Sometimes at the very start
The road you have to go looks hard
Just set off and just be brave
There’ll be help along the way
It’s no shame to be afraid
But don’t let it make you brake
’Cause in unexpected ways
Oh, there’ll be help along the way…

– Words/Music: Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

BELIEF

Sometimes when you kill a person, he keeps on living because he does not know that you have killed him. He keeps on living because he believes in you and it is this belief that keeps him alive. Until the day he learns that you already killed him, long ago. Then he dies.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.