me

IT TAKES TIME TO BE FREE

~ Che ~ 12 Comments

After I had rid myself
Of my father’s voice in my head
And my mother’s voice in my heart
And society’s voice in my ears
And fear’s voice in my throat
I stopped on a quiet morning
And listened to the sound of

My own voice
My own thoughts
My own intuition
My own will
My own way of seeing myself and seeing the world
And oh! How different it was
From what I had once thought was me.

Dazed in this silence
I looked and looked at me and me
Getting used to the sight … and feel… of me I
For it’s new when the mirror becomes an open window
Now I know why liberated birds hesitate before flying away
And why they take a while to get their bearing
And why they never return once they feel at home again in the wild.

– che chidi chukwumerije.

ANOTHER ME

~ Che ~ 4 Comments

With every flight my thoughts take
In the sight of my heart
You become to me ever more natural…
A natural extension
No pretension.

I met you in your every age
At every which one of your many life-stages
I know your low, your high
Your I, for I have looked you in the Eye.

We shall grow. This is not the end
A new task. Opened, a new flask
Undone. Another mask, unmasked.
Another you. Another me.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

ANOTHER BLACKBIRD

~ Che ~ 5 Comments

I am another blackbird
I want to fly high up in the sky
Shy and bold
Freed and loved
Here and there and
Everywhere.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

KNOWING ME

~ Che ~ Leave a comment

Someone stood by my side
In that hour when
Self-confidence is asleep
And self-belief has lost its way

In that dark hour when
All you do is question yourself
Because phantoms and demons and ghosts
Are whispering in your head

It is the hour when thieves are about
Stealing your last bit of self-worth
Under the cover of darkness
Thieves are faceless and this they know

And she was my sun when there was no sun
And she was my strength when I fell
And in my hour of deepest doubt
She kept our faith.

But one more thing she did
She took a walk through my dark side
And left signposts along the way
And told me: This is also you.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.