NGOZI OLIVIA OSUOHA - POEMS

NGOZI OLIVIA OSUOHA is a Nigerian poet/writer/thinker. A graduate of Estate Management with experience in Banking and Broadcasting. She has published over one hundred poems/articles in over ten countries. Her first two longest poems of 355 and 560 verses titled THE TRANSFORMATION TRAIN and LETTER TO MY UNBORN published in Kenya and Canada respectively are available on Amazon. She has also featured in over ten international anthologies/books/blogs. She is a passionate African ink.

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​ STORMS

​Of the waves that sink
And the waters we drink,
None is the food we eat
Rather, the flood that did defeat.

Of the earthquakes that destroy
And the landslides that toy,
None can our joy deploy
Because there is no peace to employ.

Of the winds that blow
And the storms that grow,
None can our love flow
For they bring us so low.

Storms so strange
Local and foreign, at range
Storms that change
Stories, histories, eternal.

​LINGERING EFFECT

​If we write the storm
It comes like worm,
If we paint the picture
It dribbles our nature,
If we make a collage
We study it at college,
A perfect lingering effect.

We do not want to die
Hence, the knot we tie
We love to live
So we cherish what we give,
We defeat the battle
Even without our cattle,
For we must move on.

The path of tide
And the length of time
The part so wide
And the strength against crime
There, we pitch our tent
For life is so bent
Even as we pay rent.

​FLAMES

​Raged and angered ocean
Thundering and thunderous sea,
Noisy wind and restless breeze
Troubled land and besieged souls,
Only God understands.

Weeping voices and wailing victims
Floating houses and sinking homes,
Hopeless people and dying nation
Only God knows.

Animals and beasts that raze
Humans and beings at gaze
Souls and spirits ablaze,
A world in flames
Losing her games
Evil gaining names.

​NOT WITHSTANDING

​ The Caribbean tears
Mingling down the Nile,
The European gears
Going extra mile
The African fears
Haunting the file
The Asian wears
Flowing the tile,
The American years
Curing pile,
The Australian bears
Not looking fragile.

A lingering effect
Disasters, natural and devastating
Yet never frightening her
As she hopes life never ends
Loving life to wait for hope
Living it lively to the fullest,
The Caribbean hope
Across that tiny rope
Reaching heights and highs
Nervous with sighs,
The hurricanes not withstanding.

​MAMA WEEPS

​An August visitor that visited in August
Taking away the breath of a god,
Silencing the body of a deity
Stopping the movement of a legend.

Woe betide this visitor
Wicked, heartless and ungodly
Desperate, inhumane and merciless
Devastating, destroying and cruel.

So loud a voice, so black a brother
So enthusiastic, a comrade
So selfless, a servant
Vast, conversant and familiar
So African, a creature.

Mama weeps for Kofi
She wails for her dear son
She mourns for her glory
Oh, Africa weeps.

A formidable force, a soldier
Combatant, vigilant, brilliant and gallant
Fearless, brave, bold and courageous
Stunning, astonishing and captivating
Boundless, unwavering, and unbeatable
Unmatchable, adorable and incredible
So indescribable, a knight.

Loyal and humble
Nondiscriminating, non segregating
A coach of selfless service.

A captain of virtuous strength
A winner of crystal war,
A king of hopeful future
A leader of energetic generation.

Mama weeps, Africa recounts
Dear Kofi, Mama weeps
The world will never be the same.

Goodnight, Big Brother, Goodnight Son
Goodnight, A Giant of Africa.