Colour your mind, charm your world

Hidden under the sun 🌞 Many young people today are moving with this notion that everything is already in existence. Therefore, the ideas are exhausted. Nothing to anticipate on. All these things have lead to kill dreams and made purposes unfulfilled. "I've looked everywhere but its all in existence; nothing to trigger the world anymore, all the ideas have been exhausted. Even though I think of one, boom! It's already  invented by someone else. I'm tired, I'm just really tired!. The truth is, there is nothing hidden under the sun." These are the words of Idika my younger brother who has successfully roared like a lion all in the name of expressing his emotions about the inventions of almost everything he has thought about.  Watching him grow up was a wonderful experience because he was just so mystical. Everything he did was always out of the blues. Sometimes it made me laugh but sometimes it got me thinking about how great he will be when he grows up. He i...

I had been asked by mother to go and sell bags of sachet water for a customer. The sun had fallen and now the evening breeze cool like harmattan mornings. I was busy watching the evening program that I so Loved. Mother had already conversed with the buyer on phone, stating that she had enough cold water and hot water. I knew she was about to end the call and immediately I felt a lurch in my stomach. She turned towards me from where she was seated on the ground, "kunie! Go and sell water for papa!" She said in very high tones as usual. I stared at her and gave out a weak sigh. I staggered towards the shelf on which the factory keys were kept and took a stack of packing Bags so that I wouldn't have to come back to the house until I was done. I couldn't explain what I felt, I wasn't ready to leave my TV program and I certainly didn't want to sell bags of water at the moment. Not now. Immediately my legs began to tremble. I realized soonest that I wasn't goo...

My Neighborhood. Waking up from the bed to a beautiful day, designed for a purpose to be fulfilled, makes it memorable in my neighborhood. This saying that "naija no dey sleep" is a very true sayin. Everyone is on the move with their respective businesses and areas where it is located. Well, I didn't grow up in Ajegunle,  Lagos State but my neighborhood is a bit close to it's natural phenomenon.  Abuja, though the capital city of Nigeria is rated as the smallest city or state in the country; with it's population in a countable sense. It is beautiful and well structured with diversified people living in it. Apart from the language and cultural differences, it also involves people with good manners and the opposite. You can imagine living in the midst of people you can't avoid no matter the circumstances. It's fun, lovely, dramatic, crazy,  hilarious and whatever you can classify an "Ajegunleish" kinda neighborhood. What drives me crazy, is th...

By Onuorah Francisca The world was created in a unique way. The creator himself looked at it and knew it was good. He created man. After all the work of creation, he thought it wise that the first man needed a companion. He created a companion which was called ‘Woman'. A woman is a companion; She is a helper; She is a shield; She is a warrior; She is love; She is compassionate; She is caring; She is kind; She is enduring; She is beautiful; She is fearless; She is powerful; She is smart. Every woman needs to be cherished, loved and cared for. For any one woman you have in your life, you have to guide her because she is a nation treasure, because she is passionate and loving. Never you be the reason a woman has to shed tears. Womanhood is everything. A woman reproduces, she is second to God because through her God’s work of recreation is made manifest on earth. She is strong. She is selfless. When she goes into the labour room, it's a two edged sword; her or the baby....

The have asked questions. Questions about nature is. Their questions were shallow and opposite to the answers I bore in mind. I speak in abstract terms. In a realm that is different and full of realities. I speak through the voice of the two edge sword. A voice from the throne of grace. I will tell you my story On the day of my creation, he thought deep and out of great desire, he wished I would be like him and out of greatness, his thoughts came to existence. He breathed through my nostrils and life engulfed me. I was him and he was me. I was his nature. I lived with him and we became one. A grave covenant. On the day this covenant was broken, I was caught unawares. I didn't see the writings on the wall and I didn't realize that my wisdom was foolishness. On that day, every bit of innocence sipped out of me as a bit into the apple of death. Immediately I became loose and out of the covenant with my make. I committed sin for the first time. I never new it'd be the beginn...

The atmosphere is red and crowded Dusty trousers and tired skirts parade Heads up high and standing toes No one wants to make a scene But this sharade has created a scene Empty hellos and waves made in reluctance Fathers return at dusk leaving the lad oblivious Up again like the kangaroo they proceed to routine And slowly he becomes a shadow to the lad In haste to beat the others in this game of Life You have lost the taste of the single moment Your hands have become rough and strong But you have forgotten how to pat in love Gold coins came in their numbers Checks and balances in large quantities But you pushed aside the dining table The dining table where brothers merry Now a strange dust from an unknown land Has clogged your lungs and made them sore Beneath painful panths, you found it difficult to breathe Now your eyes stare from the deserted window Into the world where you neglected Nature starred at you through it's leaves, flowers and branches Unab...

was born in a land where all is black. I saw mother's skin at first and I think it was the most beautiful colour I had ever seen, black. I grew older and one day I looked at the mirror, I was awed by my appearance, what a beautiful sight! I soon got to walk the streets of Ninghali, I looked at sons of the soil, black braided hair that shines bright under the African sun. I finally got to see the other part of the world, where my colour was looked down upon. To them, we were darkness and have no form of beauty. Then my self esteem started to drop, I became unhappy with myself for I thought I was darkness. I walked the streets empty and feeling worthless but my skin burned in the yellow sun. I began to smile again for I saw my worth. I love black! I love me! I love Africa! Now here's a question, do you love you?

 Society : Living  Life For Others  My name is Gladys, I have led the wrong life.                            I often play a little game with myself when I'm feeling bad. The game is a simple one, and maybe one that some people might find slightly morbid, but it cuts to the heart of the matter. I ask myself if this thing that is making me feel bad will matter to me when I'm on my death bed. Ninety-nine percent of the time the answer is no. My answer gave a concluding impact. I worry about things that won't matter later in life. I spend lots of my time worrying  about what other people think of me.  I live a life that is not quite what I want and expect.   I submit to other people's demands all the time and live for them. I live for what people will say or think. I led my life for the universe, to satisfy people's expectations of me. But slowly, I died inside. So, I said to myself...

Abena is up again after the safe hours of the night. She is knitting showels for her new born. Her ears are tired of the tiny screeching sounds from her little one, her hands weak from beating taffeta, her waist yielding to the pains of childbirth. Abena wouldn't quit for a second. She has worked all through the day to make sure her home still has value. She left her little one to the warm comfort of the mud house and asked little Mary to watch her so she could visit the stream. She chopped firewood from the backyard at noon and at dusk she sets dinner plates in the homestead. She welcomed Jaja, the man whom she built a home with and nurtured unto greatness. Abena served dinner and watched her family munch from afar while her breasts were being suckled. In no time, silence engulfed the compound but not for long. At this time, her little one has woken up from a thirty minute sleep, screaming like Ashanti the goddess from the Afram River. She cared less because it was the norm. She i...

Nature The trees danced gracefully to the gentle sway of the wind, a song only the leaves could hear. Have you seen the daughters of the moon, the queens of the cosmos? Have you noticed how nature chooses her steps? Gallant and thoughtful. Feets filled with wisdom . Spreading royalty in every footprint she leaves behind. I wish you could see how even gaia hastens to welcome her. How Ivy broods over every circumference in every drop of her venom. Junior Madugu

My name is Salem, I was born on religious grounds but somehow I believe the story should be different! I was seated on the stair case and watching every one prepare for the early morning Mass. I had this stoic look on my face and for minutes I kept watching mom walk to and fro trying to get ready. She looks so beautiful, but I wonder what drives her. Dad is on the phone with the priest, describing the importance of our Thanksgiving and why it needed to come first before the Okongwus. I could see Nancy from the slightly opened door to her room. She is putting on heavy make up, as I starred at her, I could see her desire to impress everyone except God. I could see the hunger in her soul that her self-esteem can't satisfy. This Sunday would have been like every normal Sunday but I woke up with a burdened spirit and a need to question every single act! St. Peter's Catholic Church has the most number of members than any other church in the city. Today, I wasn't going to pret...

There you go woman. Your walls have fallen and you have been let loose! I assume that your feeble hands can now carry the heavy water pots from the streams of Oghene, that your eyes see the consequences of right and wrong, that you will no longer share the bathing ground with boys. Yaremi, we assume that the kitchen pots will glory because of your magical hands! I watched you daily from the homestead, as your bones became stronger, your cleavage brought forth breasts and your behind became rounded. I saw you slowly become conscious of your body. I know about the long preparation before you leave for the stream. Yaremi, I know. Yaremi I also see the beauty attached to your brain. Your wisdom knows no bounds. You have carried your self with great poise as you walk the streets of Amagu. No man or woman dares to put mud on your name. You work tirelessly during the farming season and while you await the harvest, you sell taffeta at the market. You represent a race of women with a zeal un...

I thought I'd never have to speak on the novel Coronavirus but due to it's voraciousness, I will have to say a word or two.  A couple of persons said Earth is cleansing herself, some said nature is angry. A few other persons insisted that the world is coming to an end. I can remember the first time I heard about the virus, I was rather careless with the news and I made fun of it. "Oluwa wetin dey coronate" were the words on every student's lips in UNN. We laughed hard at it not knowing we'd be caught unawares. In a week the school ordered that every student should leave the premises to prevent further spread of the disease. I went home. Within days the death toll in China was rising and they kept emphasising the need to flatten the curve; even if I didn't know what that meant at the time. I wasn't really getting scared because a bunch of Nigerians said the country was too hot for virus to survive. A few other persons said our government was using the...