Magnificent

I lay in bed Counting the ceiling As my eyes scans my abode Then the emptiness creeps in A layer of dread enfolds After the day's sojourn To search for the daily bread  One is greeted with despair As the door opens to nothing When would nothing be a thing A thing that becomes something Something that adds joy and happiness Happiness that embraces one Hmmm!!! One day, I shall open the doors And here the shout Daddy oyoyo Till then, We are caught in between Loneliness and aloneness

November 2, all souls day, I felt my soul leave my body, yes, you heard me right, my soul left my body. The day started as usual, unknown to me, the day was wired not to work out fine, the busy schedule that confronted me at work, trust me, I also faced it with utmost tenacity as blood and water drained out of my body, I thought I had seen it all, but nature was singing for me: "sey you dey whine me ni. Then it happened, work closed by 2pm,I checked my pocket, my key was not there, coupled with my key was my flash drive where vital documents and other important files have been stored."Well, it should be on my table as usual"; I thought to myself. On getting to my table, Oops… nothing, checked my drawal… nothing, my heart skipped a bit as sweat poured down my fave, I felt my soul leaving, coupled with my physical exhaustion, frustration hits me immediately, I was almost at the verge of crying. I had used my flash drive at reoccurring times in different places a work, and ...

Heaving a heavy sigh As the burdens of the heart Cast an heavy burden on his shoulders His mind wallows into oblivion Glimpse of past events flashes through Sweet memories that locks up the heart The smiles that presents the gap teeth The body structure and scents that imprisons the mind The motherly care even without the altar bond Tears rolls own his eyes As he thought he had gotten to search bus-stop The search for true love After being ditched twice He had haddened his heart But love still prevailed, so he thought Moving down the altar was the goal He thought of all the promises  Everybody goes, he thoughts As he stands under the shower Shedding tears

"Babe, you are really serious o, you can't even play me, well, I've found my Mr Right... In the next ten years, I will probably be in my husband's house... (referring to me)"; I snapped back to reality as I observed her from afar smiling and posing to the camera, who would have thought that dangote trailer would eventually pass in-between us. Nothing lasts forever indeed; but I was hoping we would be 'nothing forever', borrowing Davido's song lyrics. As I stood watching, the words re-echoed into my ears, "Brother, I don't believe in love..."; That was Titi telling me years ago, a belief she holds till today. As I tried balancing my thoughts, for they were going astray, I couldn't, for the horse could not be bridled, I began to swim in the ocean of fantacy. Looking into his eyes, she could feel her will crushing, she drags him forward, pressing him closer to her breast so that the two bodies can become one, she feels his heart beat rac...

Dear Cold You stalked me You attacked me You raped me You bruised me In the end You murdered me Now I'm stalk in bed Unable to lift my body nor spirit  As I lay buried A feet deep in my duvet

I brag to be wordsmith But words fail me this day Qualifying you with even the best adjectives Is like limiting you for who you are You are the yardstick for love Because you empty yourself for others You are the epitome of goodness Because even in imperfections lies perfections Even when they continually say: Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder You are inwardly beautiful Because you have a good heart You are outwardly beautiful Because the sons of men look twice Oh!!! I forgot to add You are a salt That adds sweetness to everything you touch Sweetness resides inwardly and outwardly of your being You are a light Consuming yourself for the other self Apologies!!! As words continually fail me Happy birthday Emesomeake 

In my little life on earth I've experienced many souls at birth How fast their growth like the speed of jet Wait for it, I've not experienced them totally yet How big and huge they all get A child of yesterday guarded in mosquito net So fragile like a pet Jamboree of emotions I've felt As I remember when they bed wet Hmmm! Seeing them all set As if their existence I've never met Blooming in good health Shows I'm getting older and closer to death.

Our contemporary society is one that is quick to condemn you at the slightest error; you will be called out and dragged through the social space, gossiped against amongst peers, neighbors, and colleagues, looked down upon by superiors, and then you ask yourself, what exactly is the standard of morality for judgment?   I was in class just sometimes last week treating the topic "Parental Responsibility," I brought up a scenario of a parent who dressed up a nine-year-old female daughter in bum-shorts and spaghetti top for a party. Well, I was not surprised when my students between the ages of 13 and 15 said that there was nothing wrong with it. Now I know that the standard of morality has dropped drastically. If this happens to be the case, how do we judge when there is no yardstick for judgment   This brings me to the Jesus of history, who, when a woman caught in the act of adultery was about to be stoned to death according to the Jewish custom, asked that he who had no sin sho...

 Holy Week 2022 spans from April 10 to April 16, 2022; it is the week before Easter Sunday. The Holy Week starts with Palm Sunday and ends with Holy Saturday. It is worthwhile to note here that Easter is not part of Holy Week, but it's the beginning of the Easter season.   The Holy Week in the Greek and Roman liturgical books is called the "Great Week." This is because great deeds were done by Jesus Christ during this week.   The Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday. On this day, commemoration is made of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. This occasion is seen as the beginning of the end of Jesus' public ministry on earth. On that day, the people laid palms before him, which is a gesture reserved for a triumphant leader.   Another major event in Holy Week is Holy Thursday, also called "Maundy Thursday". This is the day Jesus celebrated the Passover feast with his disciples. It is also called the Last Supper, where he instituted th...

Deus Abscondus God is dead, God does not exist Hmmm!! I sit and watch the ocean vastness I look up and see the sky boundless The mountains and their mightiness The forest and it's greenness The waterfalls and their boldness The birds of the air and their freeness The thunder and lightening and their fierceness The sprouting plant and it's freshness And I was activated into stillness For I saw God

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, it is observed by Muslim worldwide and a month of prayers, reflection and community. It is important you know that the observance of Ramadan is regarded as one of the five pillars of Islam which lasts 29 or 30 days from the sighting of the crescent moon to the next sighting. As long as you are an adult Muslim, it is obligatory that you observe fasting during the month of Ramadan, you can only be exempted if you are acutely or chronically ill, travelling, elderly, breastfeeding, diabetic or menstruating. The predawn meal that launches the fast is known as Sahur while the nightly feast that breaks the fast is called Iftar. It is believed that the spiritual rewards of fasting are multiplied during Ramadan. Historically, the month of Ramadan is seen as sacred because Muslims hold that all scriptures was revealed during the month and Muhammad is said to have received his first Quranic revelation during the month of Ramadan on Laylat al-Qad...

The future is bright Because at the tunnel's end comes light Dawn comes after night No matter your plight Stand firm and give a fight You will one day get it right Fight with all your might No matter how tight Do not loose your sight One day, you will get to the height And fly like a loosed kite.

After the Sunday evening Mass, I sat down facing the crucifix, but my mind had left the four walls of the church. I was trying to say a word or two of prayer, but just couldn't find the right word to use. I could only make a deep sigh and say: Jesus mercy, Mary help.   In trying to get things right and stand upright, we've made so many decisions, some that favoured us and others that backfired, but then, it would seem as if the negative outweighs the positive. I know some can relate to this. We wasted valuable time, money, principles, and respect, but one thing is certain: we would never give up.   Life sometimes throws at us what we least expect, what we do not bargain for; in the twinkle of an eye, we will just find ourselves in the mud, drowned in a pool of despair; do not give up; suicide is not an option, because it's a permanent solution to a temporary problem, as opined by Albert Camus.   A seed must die before it resurrects back to life to produce fruit. We are al...

Dear Spiritus Domini My being please come and heal My body please come and fill Your presence I want to feel My burdens; come help me deal My flesh of sin, come help me kill Be filled in me like a meal Without you, I would be ill My soul for God, come and steal Dear Spiritus, I want to do your will Increase in me my Lord's zeal With you, I'm real Amen! Amen!! Amen!!!

Recently, I was at the P.T.A organized by the school where I tutor, but it was surprising that focus was not on money. This was supposed to be a norm, even though there was a notice of increment. The main focus was on parenting. Parenting is becoming difficult in this our era, the world is becoming complicated, and this complications has rendered the old model of parenting obsolete. It's unfortunate to know that the young ones that are bereft of proper upbringing or have refused to adhere to home training, are now becoming parents. What do you expect them to pass on? Definitely, tye cycle of immoral and improper upbringing would be passed on. A video circulated on Twitter recently; a young mother giving her son, not more than three years of age alcohol to drink. Wow! Free parenting at its best, but the health implications on the child, that's child abuse. We were brought up in an hard way by our parents, you might term it whatever you want to based on contemporary standards, bu...

  The cigarette smoke rising like incense prayer The hymns sang with heartfelt dedication They are all in all, prophet, priest and king The sharper words of motivation unheard of The display of coward boldness of a sheep The Lamentations, cutting like two edge sword They are both in their strongest and weakest time The Nollywood story that beats coherency The United unity Bourne from the bond of brotherhood Never claim rightness when their ancestral worship starts Sit, ponder and wonder on the gifts of drunkards In the den of drunkards, mystery enfolds anew.

The Diary of a Frustrated Soul By Anuma Maxwell Living in this country Nigeria is like a death sentence, no hope for the future. Life keeps becoming unbearable in this country for the average person. No water, no electricity, high cost of living, difficulties choking all around, we are like walking dead hoping to drop dead soon. Nigeria is a failed nation. To combat the cycle of poverty, we seek refuge in other countries, migrating with every means possible. Almost all Nigerian youth have the thought of migrating to greener pastures, Europe to be precise. If you log on to the online social space, migrating out of the country and how to migrate is much talked about. But you need to know that migrating comes with it's price. The financial implications are quite much. No matter what, I will say to you, put it in your plans to migrate.  Most times, I sit back in tears, as I think of how miserable we live in this country, our hard-works doesn't reflect. Our leaders take us for nothi...

A Frustrated soul at Prayer By Anuma Maxwell Dear God, when will this end? We keep praying for daily bread In a country that wants us dead We are milked dry and are fed With doses of sufferings till we bled An hopeless future lays ahead The oils of burden anoints our head To the slaughter slab we are led Our lives are battered, no means to mend Sufferings and hopelessness in our lives are paired Dear God, hope and bright future we want to wed So that our lives would be stew red So shall it be as I have said Amen! Amen!! Amen!!!

Your Wedding Day: Noise or Quiet? By Anuma Maxwell One thing you should know about Africa is that we celebrate life. The journey from birth to death is always celebrated; naming ceremonies, birthdays, promotions, wedding ceremonies, burials, e. t. c. They are not only celebrated, but celebrated in a lavish way.   Weddings in Nigeria are not exempt. Starting from the wedding list given by the bride's family to the groom to provide, to the bride's price, and to sum it up, the celebration itself. Most Nigerian weddings are costly to organize.   When it comes to weddings in Nigeria, it's always a thing of joy when you have the populace around you, you sew Aso-Ebi, you give souvenirs, you provide food and you receive lots of gifts. To be candid with you, to organize a Nigeria wedding, you will spend nothing less than a million naira, which statistically is way more than that.   I remember attending an important wedding in Nigeria. By 8:00 a.m. in the morning, the elders met wi...

War Without Wins By Anuma Maxwell Breeds nothing but destruction Everything it touches ends in combustion Progress definitely ends in an obstruction Woes taking a great salutation Disturbing the beauty of creation What's the gain but starvation Power tussle of pollution Living cost entering into inflation Our right to live entering into castration What's all this war amongst nations Breeds nothing but destruction

  What You Should Know About Lent: Lent Explained By Anuma Maxwell Lent is a 40-day period that comes before Esther. The Lent season 2022 starts today on Ash Wednesday. When you observe the 40 days of Lent, you replicate Jesus' withdrawal into the desert for 40 days. It is important to note that during Lent, Sundays are exempt.   The history of lent can be traced to Jesus' fasting for 40 days in the wilderness in order to prepare for his public ministry. But officially, it became part of the Christian calendar after the Council of Nicea in 325 AD.   Fasting, prayer, and almsgiving are the three main pillars upon which Lent is observed. In our subsequent post, we shall delve more into the three pillars of lent. Lent is calculated from Mondays to Sundays. As we stated before, Sundays are exempt, and Lent ends on Easter Sunday.   The importance of Lent is to prepare the faithful for Easter through prayer, mortification of the flesh, sin repentance, almsgiving, living in...

  War Dogs By Anuma Maxwell "Only the dead have seen the end of war" In the movie "Black Hawk Down," there is an opening quote by George Santayana which reads: "Only the dead have seen the end of war". Where war begins, there can't be war without bloodshed; when World War One started, you thought that was all. We read about World War Two and saw how war affects society and how war affects the economy. This then begs the question: can war be justified? Can war be ethical? If you trace your war history, where warlords and war dogs perpetuated war crimes, you would conclude that war can never be justified. The genocide by Hitler that wiped out more than six million Jews is a perfect example. The war-like situation in Ukraine, where hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes and seek shelter in neighboring countries, War is not freedom because it's the innocent that bear the consequences. Lives and properties would be lost.   I remember...

 DEAR EMESOMEAKE By Anuma Maxwell I found love in you A feeling that always brew So happy you are my love crew That the creator magnificently drew At your presence negativity flew Our connection like the synagogue and the Jew Your love in me forever new That I erase the past tense grew Because it's forever tasty like momma's stew Your being I will forever view Because my love is hard like the Catholic pew Let the cat in me meow For I have found a love in you.

SINGLE AND NOT SEARCHING By Anuma Maxwell "... marriage these days are fast becoming a case of family and societal pressure..." Life is rhetorically just a circle that evolves and keeps repeating itself. You are given birth to, you are sent to school, you graduate from school, you get a job or own a business, you get married and settle down to raise your own family, and the cycle continues to go on. It then becomes a taboo and abhorrent when there is a paradigm shift. At a particular age, the wedding call would continually be jingled into one's ear by the different status one belongs to: family, friends, colleagues; and truth be told, gone are those days when it was only women that face the pressure of getting married, men do face it also in our contemporary era, and it's always the same question: "when are you getting married? you are already getting old." Our contemporary world have presented to us a paradigm shift in various principles and values that hav...

 Three reasons start up fails By Anuma Maxwell INTRODUCTION Being a startup founder myself and with prior experience of building a startup from scratch and sharing both successful moments and moments of failure, one great learning has been that we can’t pin point any specific reason for the startup failures. There can be million reasons which can lead to a startup not being able to pull it off and eventually having to shut the shop down, pivot to a different business model, or restructure the entire startup business. CLARIFICATION OF TERMS First, what is a start up? One of the most practical and relevant definitions of startup has been given by Eric Ries . He said: "A startup is a human institution designed to deliver a new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty." So one thing is certain: a startup is formed with a very specific goal in mind.They not only have to define the problem statement but also need the financial support to experiment with their busi...

 Valentine Special By Anuma Maxwell She alighted from the bike wearing a pallazo trouser and a black round-neck top with a lion's head imprinted on it, her bum sitting confidently in the pallazo trouser. I watched from the window as she paid the bike man and made her way towards my one-room self-contained apartment; mhen! What a black beauty walking gracefully towards my apartment, her hips glaring at each step and I died inside as I couldn't control my hard on.   It's so funny that it's not even been a week since I've known Chioma. As the fuel scarcity ate deep last week, we were both struggling at Bovas filling station to get our fuel keg filled. It was no small struggle as the queue was long. Being a gentleman and seeing a beauty, I helped her with getting her fuel. We exchanged pleasantries and numbers. Four days later, here she is, in Agu's den after a series of chats and calls. Valentine's Day indeed.   I opened the door for her, stood at the entrance ...

 CHI-OMA By Anuma Maxwell I will say it with my full chest Let the words hunt and test She is full of life and so blest An endorsement of a royal crest An aura that breaths in the best She comes in an eleganze short of the lest Good tidings fills up her nest Be bold and wear her like a vest Reactions won't be a jest  On her beauty, I place my bet Knowing I won't end up in debt A creation of the first day breath God's gift to planet earth Who is she that cometh forth For her name is CHI-OMA

  LIFE IS IN PERSPECTIVE By Anuma Maxwell "The situation in life, corresponds to the communication in life"   On my way home from work, one of my students approached me. She was due for her career presentation the next day. The fear and anxiety were written all over her face; "Sir, professors and doctors would be present for my presentation tomorrow," she said. I was actually lost in thought as I had so much emotional baggage weighing me down. I could only reply, "who cares?" I projected back to life, and seeing the disappointment on her face, as that was not what she intended to hear, I knew immediately that I had misfired. I tried to salvage the situation by saying, "Who cares about their presence? You are not seeing them. You have prepared well for this, so go out there tomorrow and shine. Give it your best." It then dawned on me that "the situation in life corresponds to the communication in life".   Hence, that situation or experie...

  THE 9-5 SYNDROME By Anuma Maxwell "Definitely, you want to sack your boss and be your own boss."   Definitely, you want to start a business, you want to sack your boss and be your own boss, you want to have that freedom to make and implement decisions, you don't want to be bossed around. The above shows the orientation of a typical Nigerian, as almost everyone wants to start a business, and this narrative has been forced directly or indirectly on almost everyone, making it seem as if the salary earners are failures, living an unfulfilled life and not taking their lives seriously, forgetting that business has its own ups and downs, and many have even closed down. Truth be told, our psychological build up and mental orientation differ. The way we think differs. Some are actually built for a 9-5 job. Fulfillment comes with the joy of fulfilling a task or a function, notwithstanding the stress and challenges that come with it. I remember being in a taxi where the driver was...

 AT THE CROSS ROAD By Anuma Maxwell Nigeria is at a cross road Carrying on its back a heavy load Corrupt leaders coming out bold To mine and steal our Gold Don't blame them, our birthright we sold Over congoes of rice on the road After then, we are left in the cold No one to hug and hold They turn deaf and activate ghost mode. Get your P. V. C we are continually told Vote wisely and do not fold So that in the end, you won't turn old While asking for your rightful dough.

 THEY ARE ALL LIES: THE B. O. T ANSWER By Anuma Maxwell "... get your P. V. C, for in change, there is continuity."   I retrospect back to 2015, 100l second semester studying philosophy, it was election time, trust us, we were forming socio-political philosophers, always debating the whole election saga whereby the country was painted to be in an irredeemable state that can only be redeemed by our one and only savior Buhari. I make the sign of the cross here. Four years later, in 2019, the aroma of failure filled the air space. Our one and only saviour had fallen at the third station on his way to Calvary to redeem us. He had fallen and could not pick himself up anymore. Yet, we picked him up by making excuses for his failures that were so glaring that even the blind received a miracle and could see it. Oh! I forgot to mention his puppet right hand man, the "O" in-between the "B" and "T", so ineffective and insignificant, silent like a monk ...

A MORNING PRAYER   by Anuma Maxwell   I know they all saw me grow   And would wish to see me blow   But no, it would be in their absence   As my prayer rise like incense   We would move from home to Rome   And make Rome to be home   With God, we gonna reach the peak   Our cup would overflow and wouldn't leak   Their plans against; in the end would sink   In Jesus name I write with this ink.    Amen!!!

January: One Year In A Year by Anuma Maxwell "How wisely do you spend ?" When I looked at the calendar today and saw that it had five Saturdays, my heart skipped a beat, a whole five weeks!!! would be filled with its regular expenses and have a very slow income. How did we even get here? Let's take a look back at the last month, which was filled with a lot of feasting and celebration; it's been dubbed "DETTY DECEMBER."Savings were depleted, extra income was spent, and despite the high cost of goods and services, we were able to enjoy minor luxuries... But then, January comes, salary earners wait till the end of the month, businesses and various service providers have a slow patronage rate as many people begin to spend judiciously; the month goes in very slow motion. What then is the way forward? It all has to do with our self-discipline and our ability to spend wisely during December, a month filled with feasting and celebration; but th...

HOME OR DOOM by Anuma Maxwell What is home? That is incomparable to Rome Thinking it is softer than foam But I will prefer to roam Just to stay far away from home A home that there is no dome To protect one on the day of doom Forget that space you call room Home without dome, you can never bloom Dark clouds will always loom On that day, I'll sweep home with a broom Leaving home with a roam to Rome.

 CROSS-OVER TWILIGHT By Anuma Maxwell "...some evils would befall us, some plans would prove futile; all these can prompt the question: abi I no pray wella for cross-over night ni...?" Religiousity or spirituality aside, there is this belief as a typical African that the beginning and end of a thing or situation determines the result of such thing. Little wonder, a typical African hands over any project at the early stage to the hands of the supreme deity. Cross-over night most especially in Nigeria has over the years cut across religious line, where at the last night of the year, the faithful gather at their various religious houses to thank the supreme deity for the year ending and to hand over the new year to the supreme deity. But then, experience have thought that the calendar year comes with its own challenges devoid of whatsoever prayers or offering made. Shall we then ask, does the supreme deity neglect some of our prayers? Challenges would hit us up, some evils would...

 SOMEWHERE IN-BETWEEN (A poem)  By Anuma Maxwell Somewhere between anger and pain There I found myself on the plain Past emotions haunting with it's cane What then was all my gain I count my loss after three years being main The aftermath, I tried staying on my lane Only for your post to put me in pain I see myself as slain The anger trying to drive me insane I take a journey with a retrospective plane To the past on my thoughts train I end up coming out drain The whole event I can't wrap with my brain How I hindered the growth of your grain Tears pouring down my eyes like rain False conceptions and assumptions is the chain So sorry if you thought I was a comfort lane That will hinder your growth with a jealous cane But deep down you know I'm no Cain Your success and happiness is still the main That in the end, we shall all gain I will keep being on my lane For now, I'm in-between anger and pain.

 MASTER PLAN 2022  by Anuma Maxwell  "As you plan for the year, plan having a digital skill also." Gone are those days when we sat round the burning fire and listened to the tales by moonlight. From time immemorial, man has been driven by his curiosity to know about what is unknown. This birthed the idea of technology, and learning how it works is synonymous with learning how the modern/contemporary world works.   Technology is itself not static; it evolves. Hence, we can talk about digital technology. As the world has gone digital, in order not to be left behind, there is a need for digital literacy.    The advent of the social space is one that has plunged our world into a quantum leap, as virtually everything you can think of has gone digital. Even brands and companies have gone digital in order to maintain relevance.   There would have been a point in our lives where we had surfed the internet for remote jobs, just to keep up with the financial res...