stand outside your body, naked
take a walk out of your own skin and
go spend time with the trees, sit under
their shade and let your imagination
carry you away to places only
known to your inner child
the moon… and the stars, draw
your ears to their conversation
for they indeed speak of things —
things about words, numbers,
symbols, on their lips they bear
the spell mankind is under and
the mystery yet unavailable to the
wanderer who has already strayed
away from his soul
it’s noon o’clock and the sun is
wild today, shining, emptying all
of itself… freely giving not to itself
but to life for living — take a glimpse
of its selfless nature: to see life bloom
in another form without gossiping
to the stars, and to other celestial bodies
trying to walk but staggering and falling,
still falling, I see his strength failing,
he takes a pen, writes down tomorrow
on a soiled A4 — bringing light
to his manifestation; seizing the sun
in the body of the sheet
Note:
The Yoruba title of the poem, Ìwà Pẹ̀lẹ́, could be translated as ‘good or gentle in character’.
Uchechukwu Onyedikam (mystic poet) is a creative artist based in Lagos, Nigeria. He’s been published in Amsterdam Quarterly, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, and several print and online journals and magazines. With regards to the intense passion he nurtures for poetry, he’s open to work with other creatives from around the world. He looks forward to exploring all of humanity with words in a world where everyone else is hurting from bombs and guns. His poem, ‘Ten Years’, is on YouTube at https://youtu.be/rXxmuJseh8w.
Richard Thomson is a South African multi-disciplinary artist who composes different art forms together, depicting different versions of the same story. It’s always the story of humanity yearning for peace, love, and unity. What it means to be in this dualistic world. How to encode the light shining from Source and anchor it here and now through creativity. He has shown work at the Aardklop Festival and at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival. Experience some more of his creations here: www.themondayclub.net.
