In the hush of first dew, where whisdpers weave,
Ants tread softly on a tapestry of leaves.
Each carrying grains from the earth’s deep chest,
Preserving their paths in a dance manifest.
With tiny feet marching, each one a mind,
Together they toil; purpose intertwined.
A lineage vibrant, their essence remains,
Rooted in soil where memory gains.
Our ethnic threads braid through time's gentle tide.
We mold our ways with care and precision,
A legacy rich with each passing vision.
I am the lion guarding this strong pride;
Flames in my heart, the world my guide.
With roar like thunder echoing afar,
I stand as protector 'neath each guiding star.
Through rivers twisting and mountains looming,
I forge an embrace where our ways find room;
Though unfamiliar winds howl and shadows encroach,
Our spirit is anchored, their tides shall reproach.
Roots run deep into history’s vein:
Pulses of wisdom defying disdain.
Amidst all distractions we thrive side by side;
In unity's strength do our ways abide.
So let them come forth with trinkets so bright,
Their flickers may dazzle but fade in the night;
Yet here we are steadfast, a quilt ever whole,
Embracing our pathways, to nurture one soul.
For like pathogens pressing for dominance near,
We stand evergreen, our resolve crystal clear.
Hand-in-hand forging a future revered,
As guardians proud, we have nothing to fear.
Ode to our journey enriched beyond tears,
Where laughter resounds through generations’ years!
The ant knows her worth as she carries her load;
To preserve what was sacred, a love never sold.
The lion roars loudly, a symbol sublime:
Guardianship glows across breadths of all time.
From valleys to peaks, from dusk until dawn,
Essence preserved, as it must carry on!
(c) Nwafor Oji Awala
May 2025
May 24, 2025
May 24, 2025 at 10:03 PM UTC
When leopards hunt
in the shadows of time,
my forefathers walked the dark with their spotted coats of courage,
their eyes like gleaming stars in a midnight forest,
and their silent predators.
Eagles soared with knowledge atop mountain summits,
their feathers as crisp as the lines
murmured by ancient legends.
They looked out at the world with alert eyes,
their wings spread wide like ancestral scrolls.
Stories unfolded in paws and talons
strong through tangled woodlands
and sky-bound expanses; Sketched on the canvas of history,
this dance of survival included unclear paths
highlighted by leaps and flights.
I was taught that every stride
was a metaphor for perseverance.
May 12, 2025
May 12, 2025 at 11:16 AM UTC
You kept awake the embers of our clan
You were the breath that measured
the heart of our ethnic fire
Wherever you are, we miss you
Wherever you are, we love you
There are no more fires here
Our hearths were handed to predators
By those who became lords after you
Wherever you are, we miss you
Wherever you are, we remember you
(c) Nwafor Oji Awala
Ogale Eleme
Nigeria
Nov 2024
May 10, 2025
May 10, 2025 at 4:39 PM UTC
I never walk alone
Son of my father
Blood of my ancestors
Careful as cat
Silent as snake
Brave as honey badger
Strong as polar bear
Blood of my ancestors
Son of my father
I never walk alone
(c) Nwafor Oji Awala
Ogale
2025
May 10, 2025
May 10, 2025 at 10:58 AM UTC