Getting Married in Naija By Ghanaian Ayo
Yeeeee!!! My Girl Ayomide is Getting married! Gosh!! This Yoruba weddings, there is no way I’m missing it for anything. But I stopped to think. Are there processes or stages of getting married? So with my little kokonsa (A Twi word for a gossip) I did a little something. These are the processes, procedures, and stages of getting married in Nigeria, currently. First, you must be a graduate save some money like your two years salary or more. Then you begin to look for a wife, that would start from the church and she must be a born again Christian, know how to pray for at least one hour none stop, also speaks in tongues and must know how to cook. She mustn’t be materialistic, she must be humble and obedient. Then you take her out for lunch or dinner with a ring in your pocket, you go on your…
Silly Kene’s Visit To The Grave Side
Armed with only a torchlight. Kene pushed open the large graveyard gate. It gave a creepy sound. The air around the graveyard was eerily cool with the moon in her full bloom. Kene was not sure which grave belonged to his property owner’s dog, I mean, all the graves looked very much alike. It was strange news for Kene, on hearing that his property owner had thrown a lavish burial party for his dead German shepherd. Only in America did such absurdities happen. His people back home in Nigeria would call it madness. People were busy dying of hunger and starvation, here was his property owner spending money on an animal, Kene was busy thinking to himself as he walked around, using his torchlight to read the names inscribed on tombstones. He wanted to see it for himself; he wanted to confirm for himself that his property owner was truly…
For You By Ebundola Ayodele
For you I would climb the highest mountain peak swim the deepest ocean your love I do seek. For you I would cross the rivers most wide walk the hottest desert sand to have you by my side. For you are the one who makes me whole you’ve captured my heart and touched my soul. For you are the one that stepped out of my dreams gave me new hope showed me what love means. For you alone are my reason to live for the compassion you show and the care that you give. You came into my life and made me complete each time I see you my heart skips a beat. For you define beauty in both body and mind your soft, gentle face more beauty I’ll ne’er find. For you are the one God sent from above the angel I needed for whom I do love. By…
Someday I Will Marry A Photographer by Ayo
Some day I’m going to get married to a Photographer. A man who artistically appreciates every moment shared. A man who appreciates nature. A man who sees more of my inner beauty than the outward. A man who looks at me and edits every mistake he sees in me, and when he tries so hard to edit but no amount of filter he uses can make me better, he still would not give up but would come back another day to continue. A man who sees so much when he looks at me. I’m not asking for another Maker, trust me, but all I want is someone who sees, appreciates life and understands why we live it. By Ebundola Ayodele About Author Ebundola Ayodele is a Nigerian Ghanaian based creative with a nack for media and entrepreneurship. An administrator by training, she manages to combine her daily responsibility around writing,…
FREE BIAFRA BY CONCERNED BIAFRAN AND PATRIOTIC NIGERIAN
With my big-small brain, I have been thinking, this was how our founding fathers were agitating Free Nigeria say in the years 1957,58,59 and eventually got independence in 1960. I guess and know there was joy in the air But this joy later resulted to countless coups in different parts of the country and later Civil war between the years 1967-1970. A country that has been ruled between 1900-1960 without issue(s) felt like they were in bondage and when they were liberated (As they say); the freedom intoxicated them that they fought just 7years after being granted freedom. Now Biafra is agitating ‘Free Biafra’ and I want to ask -What is the tendency that war won’t break out after Independence because am not sure we will even wait till 7years to break out like Nigeria -Why are the Biafran funds used to agitate this not used to develop the Biafran…
THE MATYR BY NTEN
So, I’m in church Lifting up hands and giving praise to my God In that sweet moment of worship, I feel happier than ever So at peace My feeling of contentment so real and unforced Suddenly, there’s a commotion There are men at the door with ruthless weapons ‘Ah!’ I think ‘They’ve come for us too’ The men our Holy Book call “the children of the bondwoman” The men we call our brothers They’ve been on rampage for a while now Persecuting Christian brethren everywhere Their aim they say Is to convert everyone to their religion But how can that be? How can I deny my faith? How can I let the fear of death deprive me of that City of gold? So, I say to them ‘No, I do not deny my faith I stand for Christ’ The torture begins My limbs are taken off one after another I…
Once Upon A Girl By Mirabelle Morah
Cynthia was always nice to me. She had the prettiest smile and the prettiest hair, not that I knew many girls but Cynthia lived next door. “You, come out and play with me.” She’d call out on Wednesday evenings. “Hey, come on and eat with me.” She’d say to me in school. “Would you be in church today?” She’d ask me on Sunday mornings. Sometimes I thought she cared about me more than my family did and so I trusted her with my trust. My everything. And my life too. It was carol night in church that day. Cynthia made me sing with the junior choir and I had only obliged because she was also in the choir. The air was cold outside and everyone was inside the church building. We stood by the baptism pool, looking into it from behind the fence. “Mama says once I turn 16 I…
BLANK PAPERS BY IPIEKI
I’ve got so many blank paperz I’m still looking for the sands of time blank paperz Calmly absorb these thoughts of mine blank paperz My thoughts engraved to free my mind blank paperz All I need to leave the past behind Bio: Ipieki ode, architect, libra, poetry lover/poet, comedy and drama lover.
Dear Dove by Veralyn Chinenye
Dear Dovess, When you smile you knock me out, I fall apart, and I thought I was smart. But now, all I get are long faces that knock off…. Your smile is fading out, I thought the more you smile the better the smile, but yours is gradually fading, because you no longer take time to smile. You force yourself to smile. You no longer smile with your eyes twinkling like stars. You force smiles, smiles are not to be forced, they come naturally to the face to beautify. What has happened to your smile, you remember the birthday present I sent to you with kind words from my bowels, I thought it did lighten you and give you hopes as you enter another year of your life with high hopes, high laughter, aspiration and loud smiles. I’m worried Dovess, as I peck on your window to watch you sleep,…
The People of Calabar | Abdul’s Story
Abdul is my classmate and he’s one of the few Muslims in the department. I had chased him around a lot for a story and was finally able to lock him down after class. Naturally, I was expecting to get something about the prejudice he may have encountered or something similar… “When I get into a relationship with a girl, I always want to know about her: Her aspirations, her family, her experiences, you know, to build trust. Well, this my girlfriend told me how she lost her virginity. She was in her JSS2-JSS3 then in the village. Her dad was a banker who worked in town during the week and returned only on weekends. Her mum was a trader in the market. Because of this, her mum left the keys to the house with their neighbour. It became normal practice to always stop by after school to obtain the…
LOVE
Love! A word found on all lips Professed by all mouths Imagined by all hearts Heard by all ears It is a steel that pierces through all hearts That conquers all fears Gladens all hearts And brings true all dreams It is a feeling that can’t be bought It cant be stolen It can’t be forced It comes on its own It repairs all torn hearts Heals all wounds And bears great happiness And easy to express By Matthew, Ime Gabriel
THINGS I WISH I COULD TELL MY YOUNGER SELF
1. Life is good. Not always, but mostly. And when it is not so good, be assured it will get better. 2. It’s a good thing that we don’t know everything that’s going to happen to us. If I had known all the pains and heartaches I would encounter in life, even amidst the joys and victories, it would surely have been too much to bear. 3. If you tend to be shy, try your best to overcome it. Take it a step at a time, but work at it. It is a gift to get to know new people, especially those who are different from you in some way, culturally, ethnically, religiously. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone may be painful for a time, but the benefits are everlasting. 4. Your hard work in school will be worth it. But come on, don’t kill yourself. 5. It may…
IT’S PENNY FREE, BAYBIE!!! By Gloria
It is quite true the saying that, the best things in life are free!. Have you ever thought how much it’ll cost you to dream?, well I’m not literally referring to that sort that comes at night or as a result of overdue malaria treatment, no!. I’m talking about that kind that is conceived in the place of conscious and constant, deliberate ponder! That kind that is passion driven!! Have you ever thought of the fact that you don’t have to pay for creating the future you want in your mind?!! So, yeah, lemme ask, when last did you dream? When last did you imagine yourself beyond the now?! Success is never accidental,it is a deliberate plan. So for my beautiful ladies out there, you had better stop singing, “I’m a Barbie girl in a Barbie world”, cause the brains behind those scenes give themselves sleepless nightzz so you could…