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…
IT’S NOT JUST ENOUGH TO DECIDE BY GLORIA
I once penned this from a preacher’s teaching and it ignites my spirit each time I come across it, ‘it is good to decide to follow JESUS, but it is more important to ‘FOLLOW Him’. Many of us have only DECIDED to follow Jesus, but have not and are not willing to start the process of actually following Jesus. We find ourselves taking decisions over and over again to stop a particular sinful habit, to withdraw from certain kind of friends, to always approach and address issues like a believer Should, to commence cultivating and imbibing godly values and certain disciplines that’ll help us grow positively and make us become better versions of ourselves. Howbeit, that most times we’re only faithful in decision making, but never faithful to put those decisions to work! Decisions made without necessary complimenting actions could be wearisome overtime. What decisions have you made? How many…
BEULAH {somebody, start somewhere} by Gloria
Miss Clara bamboye climbed the stairs gently to the rooms, she was being careful so as to catch the slightest sound. It was unusual to meet her sister’s house quiet at this time of the day, the normal scene to have greeted her would be Beulah, her niece sitting on the parlour couch with her legs crossed, paper and pencil in her hand writing down lines from one of her favourite TV programs “shake it up Chicago”. That was Beulah’s second best TV show after Aunty Clara’s own TV program, the popular and award winning “MEET THE JORDANS”. For a moment Clara began to wonder what on earth could have changed the routine, or could it be that her niece wasn’t back from school yet? Of course not, her sister had told her before she left her office where she went visiting, that she had called Beulah’s class teacher, Mr…
Stand Up Stand Right By Gloria
Show me a man who settles for anything, And I’ll show you a man who has no vision. Show me a man who’s only good at knowing everything about everyone else, and I’ll show you a man with bleeding future. Show me a man who’s always looking for the cheap way out, And I’ll show you a man whose end is in the emergency ward. Show me a man who has no regard for Decency and self value, And I’ll show you a man who has thrown his pearls to the pigs. Show me a man who doesn’t regard righteous living and morality, And I’ll show you a man with a tragic ever after. Show me a man who sees only impossibilities, And I’ll show you a man who’ll amount to nothing. Show me a man who would never stand up for his right, And I’ll show you a man…
My Crack By Mirabelle Morah
I’m not actually a wonderful person. My name means wonderful, but many times I’m less than wonderful. I’ve been told of my pride, about my snobbing. These were the periods when I prayed most to God to keep me humble, the periods when I was excessively courteous to people even though they were asswipes. The periods when I wanted to be on my own because I enjoyed my solitude. Time out with God alone, even in the crowd. And still, they called me names. I’m cracked in some areas of my life. Areas one-two persons know about. Jesus uses cracked people. He mends them because He’s the potter who made them and breathed life into their nostrils. I try not to be afraid what people think about my cracks, it only matters what my Potter says.
I No Love Again by Nature Photographer | Monday Ogar
Dem say love go make me whole Cure me of my soji, make me bold Forget my poverty, make me feel I hold Feel like celebrity, 2chains with all im gold Claim Eko boy for Calabar, as Cross River don broke But I swear no be so e bin go. As I love her… My sweet mama she make me forget My job, my appointment letter she make me I tear My state of origin, I tell you naim I first forget My guys, she make I disconnect And all my money she collect As my account na she dey receive alert. Now when you call love I dey dodge like militant wey sight JTF Because when I think am I dey shed tears As when I reason the journey, my liver the fail Because this thing call love e no jell. By Ogar Monday About Monday Ogar Monday is…
Midnights by Mirabelle Morah
As she slept through the night she heard it again. This thing—whatever it was—that kept her awake and kept her scared. She’d gone to sleep at a friend’s house once, hoping it’d stop, but rather it continued. The next day, her friend coyly kicked her out of her house. Every night she turned the mirrors towards the wall, shut her windows tight and locked her room door. Not forgetting the kerosene lantern she lit every night and made sure it burned bright, so she could see the shadow of any monster that would creep into her room. It didn’t stop the sounds, or the terrible dreams that felt too real. Hope you slept well. By Mirabelle Morah
Together We Are Better
Last Sunday, I sat in church and listened to Pastor Tony teach, “Together we’re better,” he said. I thought about life with Elizabeth Ita, how together we did so many things. I thought about how I really loved working alone. “Fellowship together, socialize together, study together, pray together…” Pastor Tee kept teaching. I said okay, maybe I’d learn to work with others then. Not that I don’t work with others o! People disappoint too much and can’t be so trusted, so I prefer doing solo work. Fast forward to three days later. I thought I could do a certain assignment alone but alas, I nearly died of frustration because I had no idea what to do. I asked Lola, Vera, Isaac and Julius for help. All disappointments! Nobody wanted to help. Everyone claimed not to know if the answer was in the textbook or if it was on Google. I…
BRAVE by Fortune Mbah
I will stand up and speak out For the times you derogated me and made me feel less of life. The times you slammed me and made me swallow the pain. For deriving pleasure in my pain and enslaving my body, I will stand up and speak out. Amidst wails and pleas you relish my suppleness not minding the beautiful scars you imprint. The beastly laughter of satisfaction you let out And your creepy smile I will stand up and speak out. Now I am brave I am strong enough to resist Strong enough to slam back, to ignore the pains in pleasure to look you in the face and say, Enough! And to stand up and speak out. Fortune Mbah About Fortune Name : Fortune Mbah Sex: Female School : University of Calabar Level : 200 Hair texture: Awesomely kinky and afro Skin colour: Brown
AFTER HERE – By Augustus Bill
Your joke used to be the funniest in school back then and everybody expected to buy a ticket to your concert at Eko hotel one day, they so hoped on your making it, but these days you are so dry that you can’t even amuse yourself, like your hard disk of jokes had been replaced with that of a sadist. You don’t just understand where and how things went wrong. You used to write mind cracking articles back then in school, and had a lot of audience on your blog, people visited your Facebook wall like it was a Doctor’s prescription; two times in the morning, once in the afternoon and three times at night. They all expected to read your bestseller one day, anticipated to see your stories featured on Blank Paperz, they hoped to see you lift the Caine Prize or even the Man Booker, they so hoped…
The End of The Beginning by Ogala Osoka
Once, the world as you know it did not exist: a huge vacuum that was intoxicated with emptiness. Long time ago, before time was born, before light, or even darkness existed, the universe floated behind a thick layer of nothing. It reeked of robust emptiness so much that space was solid with meaninglessness. Desolation spread; running into every corner until this vacuum became sore with depression. Consciousness would be a plain miracle. There is nothing beautiful about being oblivious; there is nothing ugly about it either. Sometimes, life is its own nemesis. Darkness is not so different from light. Good is only isolated from bad as the edges of a coin separate its sides. This world floated, void of extremes: it was raw perfection held in space. The world lay bare, its dimensions filled with hollowness, save a corner preserved for miracles. Like a flower blooming from concrete, in intense…
Thell By Creative Poet | Chris Fridae
Tongues like fangs, red-eyed beings Left side grins, no flames but fire No master, no slaves—all equals No symbols, no signs—all words No gods but statue burning as fuel “It was just one lie” a little voice groans Yet we knew it was more For the pain was too much for a lie At least he does remember. He can tell. This torture, this pain Slowly ripping my vein. What’s my crime? My voice is tailing off to let my silence scream This furnace, no boundaries, still I sight a sea A mirage drifting far as I scrawl to its shores. “Flow, flow ocean flow,” a voice pleads. This brimstone knows no thrones, no scepters and no prince. I watch a warrior’s lungs roast and burn, his flesh unscathed Like death I thought this’d never end. . In a sudden, the volcano ceased, the skies were clear And peace reigned…