Saturday 20 August 2011

Love Offerings


Thinking of what you do to me, the way you make me shiver,
Reminds me the sultry pleasures you bring to me every time.
Sinking into my crevice of joy and pleasure,
Entering my temple of peace and tranquillity,
To worship at the altar of love and sensuality.
Oh, come and drink of my fountain of corporeal lust,
Come and swim in the glorious waters of my juices.
How precious and wonderful is your sweet smelling offering.
Coming into my holy of holies to serve your feast of pleasure,
Placing yourself at the mercy of my inner crevices,
Willing the abundance of delight to bring you to the zenith of ecstasy.
Rest your head on the bosoms of serenity,
As I manipulate your body into rhythm with mine,
We ascend the heights of love and joy and together,
Until we reach the crescendo of our symphony and our music plays on.
I remember what you do to me and I smile.
Come to me my love and do it all over again!



Nigeria at 50: Breakthroughs and Challenges



50 is a long time in a person's life. By the time most people are 50, they've reached an acceptable level in their career, have the house, 2.5 children are in or about to enter university, belong to a prestigious club or society and are preparing for retirement. Some are even retired already. It's a time when a person can sit back and reflect on the first half-century of life, their paths and achievements and look forward to another half-century, God-willing.
But how do you measure a half-century in terms of a country? Do you base it on the achievements of the people? Or maybe how the government have fared over half a century? Do you look at the technological advancements the country has made or how far the economy has grown? Do you look at it in terms of its greatness (or lack of it) in the eyes of the world? Or do you look at the percentage of employed and alleviated people? All these are acceptable guidelines to measure the success of a nation. Depending on which is important, the people will use it to judge the success, or failure, of their nation over a half-century.
This year, almost half the nations in Africa are celebrating their half-century. Some have been planning these celebrations for over a year. These celebrations are to show how far they have come as nations and let their people be proud of whatever achievements that have been made during this period. One nation not showing such enthusiasm is Nigeria.
Nigeria is a nation that has been fraught with so many inconsistencies in its 50-year existence. Once known as the giant of Africa, Nigeria has shrunk into almost technological obscurity and has lagged in its leadership role in Africa. Years of military rule, rot and decay has taken its toll on the country. Tribalism, nepotism, unequal opportunities are rife in the country. The oil boom, which was thought to have been a blessing, is now a curse for the people of the Niger-Delta. The country has abandoned all other forms of revenue and now solely depends on oil. Corruption is now the order of the day, from the school child right to the very top of government. Infrastructures, schools, roads and transportation have been left to degenerate almost to a point of redundancy. Ethnic violence and militias in the Niger-Delta region are threatening to embark the country on another path to civil war.
But with all these negatives, the nation also has its positives. It is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and the third-largest in Africa. The creation of anti-graft agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have helped to control the tide of corruption in the country, though some would argue that it is a tool used to bully the opposition by the government. Its relationship with developed nations has improved with the coming of democracy in the country. Some states in the Federation have taken up the task to help themselves thrive and improve on the quality of life in their various regions. Nigerians in the Diaspora are finally coming home to take advantage of the economic growth of the nation. Technological advancements are being made in the private sector and the spirit of entrepreneurship, the hallmark of every Nigerian, is being encouraged to thrive. Foreign investors are coming in to take advantage of the stable economy. All these things are building up the positive image of the country.
But with all these achievements and continued growth, why is the celebration of the country’s golden jubilee shrouded in secrecy? One would expect that with all the nation has been through, plans for these celebrations would be known to the people and what to expect. A lack of transparency, corruption in the awarding of tenders to handle the events, nepotism and misinformation are some reasons why. Nigeria has still not lost its garb of corruption and the prebendalism that reigns in government civil services, the legislature and the executive have shown that everyone plans to make money off the honest tax-payers of the country. Till date, the House of Representatives, the lower house of legislation, has refused to pass the Freedom of Information Act, which would give the ordinary man access to all forms of government documents. The government has no spirit of accountability and the people have no idea how the revenue is being appropriated. As it stands, no one outside the echelons of power know how the preparations are going. This year, the government is having a banquet in London, England to begin celebrations of the half-century. Where on the surface of the earth is it done? That a country would waste money in hosting a 2-day event abroad when the populace have no idea what exactly is going on? After the banquet in England, I can bet there would be another one in The United States before the government then lets the people know what exactly it is planning, probably a month to the event. Lackadaisical attitudes towards preparations for events have been the hallmark of Nigeria’s doings. The Olympic Games, The FIFA World Cup are only a few examples of how Nigeria leaves everything to the last minute and then suddenly jumps up 6 months to the affair to jumble up people together, spend money that is never accounted for and pray and hope we win medals. Countries who prepare for anything know exactly how much time and effort it takes to pull off a successful event.
It is very sad that a country, after being in the dark for so many years, have finally seen the light  but refuse to go anywhere near it. The 50 year, half-century celebrations should have been a time to show the world that Nigeria is changing, Nigeria has the ability to survive,  Nigeria has the ability to plan and host important and major events on its own. As it is, if the celebrations of a nation are shrouded in secrecy, what hope have we of being taken seriously by anyone in the developed world that we can stand on our own? Nigeria We Hail Thee.


Lost Love


To see love lost is to see love die.
The anxious feeling of grief and despair.
"Had I known", How I wish", carry sway
In the expression of the heart's pain.
How I wish we never ended, how I wish we never parted.
Like a phantom ship adrift on the sea,
So is my heart, desolate and lost,
No port or harbour will do.
Only the moans and aching of my heart,
Which screams in my ears, prevail.
I never regret the time spent together,
I only regret the time spent apart.
"To have loved and lost is better,
Than not to have loved at all".
I will love you forever, my lost one...

Riding The Storms Of Love


The beauty of our love is inexplicable,
The journey we have ridden is indescribable.
From pains, betrayals and rebellion,
To joys, loyalty and submission.
Like two lovebirds that never part,
We are joined forever more.
The love I feel is beyond description,
The peace you give me is beyond understanding.
Wave upon wave of criticism we’ve overcome,
And like super surfers, we’ve ridden them all.
No one compares to you in my life,
My Adonis, my Spartacus, my Hercules.
We have come through darkness to see a new day,
A new dawn in our love and relationship.
We climb to new heights as we explore each other,
And find new things that excite one another.
Like a drug addict, I need my next fix immediately.
I’d rather die with you, than love another.
You are my all... I love you.

Great Woman


Great Woman

By Ruth Matthew

She is the cradle of mankind, the one who carries the past, present and future.
She lifts up her hands to pray to the hills, for strength to conquer the unknown.
Her arms are wider than the east is to the west,
Welcoming and comforting all who come to her.
Her strength is like that of the baobab tree, standing firm in all storms,
A picture of strength and stability in a desolate land.

She has fought and led her country; she is the beacon of her people.
From the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same,
She is at the forefront of liberation, fighting for her future.
 The silent strength of her husband and the ever-present power to her children
All day she toils and struggles, her back carries the weight of the world.

She is the unsung hero at the home, the forgotten gender in society.
She is the hero, the villain; the helper, the destroyer; the lover, the hater.
She has been shut down, kept out, stomped on and kicked at.
But she trots on silently; unbending, unyielding, unfazed.
Denied her place in history and abandoned by those she birthed,
She still moves ahead, through the desert of loneliness, unaccepted.

Now look out for her in the streets, watch for her on the sidewalks.
Confidence and assuredness bursts forth from her inner being.
She has been reborn, rejuvenated, resurrected.
No more is the dust and dregs of the earth for her.
She moves with renewed grace, beauty and poise.
Sing her praises, hear her story and see her triumph.
Shout it out from the rooftops! Sing it from on high!
Revel in her beauty, marvel at her intelligence.
Praise the woman you are and the woman you ought to be.

T.E.A.M.


I made up my mind to be the best for you.
I told myself you would be the last.
Through all the trials we’ve been through,
Our love has gained momentum and strength.
Many thought we couldn’t last; it’s a matter of time.
We came so close to breaking point, so close to destruction.
We bounced back better than ever.
Looking back at the things we’ve done, what we’ve been through,
It’s amazing we are still here.
We walk this narrow road to greatness, this road less travelled,
We gather strength along the way, to make bouquets of devotion.
Love is what got us here. Friendship and Companionship will see us through.
Alone, we are imperfect, (T)ogether w(E) (A)chieve (M)ore!

Truth be told, I need you.
Truth be told, you need me.
In the hapless madness of this world,
We are the sanity we return to.
In the stress and strain of the land,
We are the rest we need.
Companions, friends, lovers,
Through it all, we have stood the test.
As we stand the test and face the hurricanes of life,
Our relationship is strengthened and fuelled.
Our connection is symbiotic,
Feeding off the energies we give off,
Giving each other the strength to go on.
All through the years to come,
When we will sit on the love bench of our grey-haired days,
Looking at the twilights of our youth,
We will remember our highs and lows,
Remembering our triumphs, and thanking God for each other.

Appreciation


Joy, pure joy. Overwhelming elation.
How I feel cannot be explained or clarified.
How you love me so! How u shower me dearly!
Many times I have thought I was not worthy,
Many times I feel you deserve better,
But you’ve shown me what it is to be loved.
My darling, what would I be without you?
Bringing me from the depths of loneliness and depression,
To the great zeniths of pleasure and passion.
To have much love is to feel much love.
To give much affection is to abound and bask in great warmth.
I bask in your adoration; I swim in your pool of life.
Never stop, please never relent!
For as you express to me, I open the floodgates of my admiration.
My banks are overflowing with respect and tenderness.
To love is to be loved and I am loved most passionately..

Arise!


Arise and get up!!
Arise to your dreams
Arise to your possibilities.
So long have you sat on your eggs,
So long have you refused to realise your dreams.
So long have you allowed fear to hold you down.
Holding your dreams down,
Afraid of their effects.

Arise and get up!!
Do not wallow in sleep any longer.
Do not wallow in self-pity any longer,
Do not deny your destiny any longer.
To long has your destiny been under wraps.
Fear of the unknown cripples you like a lame man,
Begging on the streets for bread.

Arise and get up!!
Express your heart and follow your dreams.
Allow yourself to be immersed in your innerglow,
That inner iridescent light that screams for air.
Show yourself strong and believe in your greatness.
For there is nothing to fear but fear itself,
The challenge of that fear releases you.
Arise, Arise, ARISE!!!!

I looked for you today my love and I didn't find you.
Like Rapunzel waiting for her prince, I dropped my handkerchief out the window.
Oh my darling, where are you?
I long to see your face, to hear your voice.
Countless times I think of grim things,
Things that could have occurred to you.
My heart bleeds with worry, your safety my paramount concern.
Please reach out to me, I can’t take it any longer!
The silence kills me, I can’t bear it!
When will you be home? When will I see you?
I long for you as the air I breathe,
I try to wait patiently, waiting and waiting.
Keeping busy is not easy, my mind is filled with you.
Till you call I won’t be sane,
Till you come I won’t be happy.
Come to me my sweet, come home...

Renewed


This gift I have I will never let go.
This gift I've been given will never falter.
For the first time I finally know what it's like.
From the first time I knew you, I had to have you.
You've changed my life from the moment you came.
I promised I wouldn't do the things I used to,
I said I wouldn't walk the path I used to tread.
My purpose is for my gift,
My gift is my life.
My life is renewed.
I love you...

Passions Fulfilled


Thinking of what you do to me, the way you make me shiver,
Reminds me the sultry pleasures you bring to me every time.
Sinking into my crevice of joy and pleasure,
Entering my temple of peace and tranquillity,
To worship at the altar of love and sensuality.
Oh, come and drink of my fountain of corporeal lust,
Come and swim in the glorious waters of my juices.
How precious and wonderful is your sweet smelling offering.
Coming into my holy of holies to serve your feast of pleasure,
Placing yourself at the mercy of my inner crevices,
Willing the abundance of delight to bring you to the zenith of ecstasy.
Rest your head on the bosoms of serenity,
As I manipulate your body into rhythm with mine,
We ascend the heights of love and joy and together,
Until we reach the crescendo of our symphony and our music plays on.
I remember what you do to me and I smile.
Come to me my love and do it all over again!



A Ray Of Sunshine


How divine to wake up to a ray of sunshine!
To be in an eternal state of bliss!
A spotless mind, untarnished by hate,
A heart untouched by hurt.
Only the love through the best times,
Only the unity through the unbearable exists within.
What distress my heart would bear if it were without this.
To hear the birds in the trees are possible because of this.
Countless thoughts of exhilaration are possible because of this.
To love is to be worshipped, adored and wanted.
Togetherness is oneness, it is endless, and it is unending.
To love is to live, to live is to experience, to experience is life

Confusions In Discipline Styles


As an expectant mother I subscribe to so many mothering and parenting websites that I feel swamped and overwhelmed with a lot of the information that is found on these websites. From labour and how to sleep to what to eat and what no to, most of the information is quite confusing and goes over my head like water on a duck’s back. But interestingly I came across this article about discipline and its effects and ramifications on the psyche of the child and how it affects his/her association with others. It spoke about a mother who, because her 15-year-old had consistently failed in school and after lectures and groundings went unnoticed, and earned himself an F in gym class his mom decided that was it. She made a sign that read, “I did 4 questions on my FCAT and said I wasn’t going to do it … GPA 1.22 … honk if I need (an) education,” brought it to his school, made him put it on as they left campus and then had him wear it at a Tampa intersection for 4 hours. A psychologist who worked with Child Social Services said “It definitely would fall within the category of emotional abuse. It is shame, embarrassment and humiliation. This will be a lifelong memory for him”.
This article actually got me thinking. When is a punishment deemed appropriate and when is it deemed abuse?  Do we as parents have to toe a thin line in showing our children the right and proper way? Or do we become their friends and molly-cuddle them until they have no perception of reality?
Growing up my parents instilled discipline through spankings and respect for authority. There were no time-outs or sitting in corners. You took responsibility for your actions and learnt that everything you do has an effect and consequence from an early age. The fear of bringing up children that were “sissies” or “soft” were the things that my parents were trying to avoid. Bringing up well-rounded children was their plan.
These days, a parent can’t spank their child or even raise their voice on their child for fear of being accused of verbal or physical abuse towards the child or, worse, the police being called to intervene. Children in developed nations in this current generation enjoy a lot of comfort and protection from the government, so much so that parents aren’t allowed to parent anymore. So what’s next- a kid being forced to clean up his mess is being forced to endure   “manual labour”? Grounding a child is “false imprisonment”?
Now please don’t get me wrong. Definitely there are some parents who actually do abuse their children, sexually, physically and emotionally. Some people who feel that their children are not to live normal lives but to be scarred with self-esteem issues and emotional hang-ups. But these are the minority. To say that a mother who decides to shame her child into bettering his life as abuse is just laughable. If after speaking herself hoarse and grounding her son didn’t work to bring him back in line, then she had to resort to desperate means of embarrassment. But it begs to ask the question: if she had being stricter when he was younger would he have had to be embarrassed?
It is never too late to change the discipline routines we use towards our children, if we intend for them to be great people in life; the danger is feeling that in some way or the other we as parents are viewed as the enemy of our children. I don’t intend to be liked by my children, if liking them means that I set aside rules that can enable them live fulfilled lives after I am gone. The relationship of the young man mentioned might change with his mother…he may “hate” her at this point, resent what she did and yes, feel humiliated by what she had him do. And, if this boy turns his academic situation around, regardless of the motivation behind it, I can only imagine that he is bound to have an improvement in his self-esteem and feelings of capability. It feels good to succeed, and it sounds like he hasn’t likely had that feeling of achieving success for a long time, if ever.  And how exactly did this young man feel about his “punishment”? “I felt crazy, it’s embarrassing,” he says, before adding, “She was trying to teach me a lesson. I should have been working harder than I was in school.” And if that is the result we get for disciplining our kids, then it makes it all the more worthwhile.

The Journeys of A Nation


My country, my home, the land of my birth
Plundered, abused, raped by those who knew not.
Taken away by "superiors" to serve as slaves.
Kings and Queens reduced to commoners.
Treasures and heritages lost forever.
Dispersed in the New World,
To live, to work, to die.

We were redeemed by our kind,
Those willing to fight the status-quo.
Independence gained on the blood of the righteous.
They stood for their beliefs,
they re-established the good in us.
We were a people again.

Along came the evil amongst us.
The uncouth, they understood not.
The undisciplined, they harkened not.
Once again were we subjected to slavery.
Slavery  by our own kinsmen,
Slavery by those sworn to protect us.

Once again, due to the death of our Goliath,
We have been delivered from slavery.
Democracy is born, we are "free".
But freedom comes at a price.
A price of corruption,
A price of injustice.
But the people are tired.
The people are wanting to be set free indeed,
We hope for ourselves, for our children,
We hope for our future, we hope for our nation.
A revolution to cleanse the land is coming.
The people have spoken..

Unbridled Passions


It started like a dream, surreal,
Not seen by me or he who envelopes me,
Fills me, thrills me, and woos me.
He is to me what the air is,
To breathe is to live and to give.
What started as an affair now cannot be compared.
What started as a joke, now has me addicted like coke,
Coca-Cola that is. Now I'm into his aura,
I’m feeling like a species of flora, being his aurora.

When we get there, consuming passion takes over,
Compassion is over, exploration takes over,
Acting like a river, hands wander,
Wanting to go yonder, taking the time,
 Finding that kind of feeling we have been seeking,
I’m reeling in the passion that is evolving, turning.
We find places of zenith within us;
You give me your spirit; I give you my soul,
You give me your body; I give you my whole being
Freeing ourselves, no inhibitions, submissions or conditions
We are soaring to the zenith, till we come down or around.
Having experienced your lips, your kiss, your stiffness, my weakness,
My wetness, your thrust, satisfying our lust for the forbidden.
Not hidden are my feelings, the meaning of which you know now.

Trust me


Trust that my heart will never leave
Trust that my love will never cease
Trust that these days are here for us
Trust this time is special to us.
Trust that the purest gift is love,
Trust that together we are one.
Trust that I will always be there,
Trust that I will always show I care.
Trust that we are undividded,
Trust that we are forever united.
In heart, in mind, in spirit,
Trust that I always want you lifted.
Trust me like no other,
Trust me as one to another.
Just trust me....

The Sounds Of Love

Sitting in the crowd, the orchestra playing,
Your instrument singled me out of the crowd.
It played a sound so melodic to my ears,
Like a snake charmer playing his flute for the snake.
As the Pied Piper who dictated the tunes,
You made sure my heart could not long for another sound.
The orchestra faded away but your sound remained in my heart.
I searched for you and your instrument and asked you to play some more.
Till life turns to death I never want to hear another instrument.
Oh my love!!! Play your strings and lift me into an eternal trance.
Brass, string, wood wind or percussion, I truly do not know,
All I care is that your song never ends..