Life Through My Eyes

I long for your touch Your embrace, that that will make me feel safe I long for you The you who will ride with me in my joy The you who Will wail with me in my sorrow, comfort me That you who will embrace and support my moves The you who will stay with me when my people come to visit Not run like a thief caught in action I long for you who was crafted for me Who will accept my flaws Acknowledge my weaknesses And help me transform them into strengths The you that will be my backbone The you who will offer a shoulder once I feel down The you who will love me unconditionally The you who will not be ashamed of me The you who will not put me under pressure to change and suit your needs and desires I long for you Every day I watch out as the sun wakes and sleeps With the hope that you will arrive I know you are coming! Through the eyes of AYENYO Joanita

Africa is rich! Split by boundaries, but we are one! Those lines drawn in the colonial times are just lines Look at our traditions Practices, norms Either same or similar We protected our environment Children People Natural resources Surrounding! Our forests are rich with healing herbs No added chemicals Our foods, very high in nutritional values Our brews, full of nutrients! Our leisure time full of fun and education Our songs! Our elders, mothers rich with knowledge Constipation in children was dealt with from home To date, all we need to do is get a small piece of soap And that poo comes running like never before I won't divulge into details for I learnt my lesson some time back With technology, so many of us are connected to soo many people we don't know. So one time a mother had this challenge and needed a home remedy, I spilled our secret into detail, you should have read the Insults hurled at me! So Africa, keep your secrets and guard them jea...

Motherland where my heart belongs The cocks’ crows wake this village! As the people turn in their beds trying to cover their heads and coil for more minutes, the crows continue until they get out of their sleeping mats. They yawn, stretch as their eyes adjust and notice the light from the skies signaling daylight. The atmosphere is filled with melodies from the birds. Up they arise and get hold of their hoes and other garden tools and rush off to the fields. Much of the field work is completed by the time the sun comes up and some people start their long trek back home as others work on until the sun is above their heads. Some roots like cassava, yams; vegetables and firewood are always brought back home. The woman immediately starts the process of making food for the family as the man bathes and goes to sit under that mango/ tamarind tree with a big bowl of porridge as he awaits lunch. The children come around him and start playing. He plays the baby sitter role as mama wor...

How I learnt that men are so selfish Look around you Look around you especially if you are within 500km radius from where I am writing and you should be able to see what I see. There is a rise in single motherhood and people think it is the trend. I say otherwise. I believe these women who are single handedly bringing up a child or children are doing this for a reason. Show me a man today who will take up his responsibility of fending for an expectant mother and the child. Close to zero! They take off once they realise there is life within a woman. Not a diaper, not soap, not a shawl, not milk. They run without looking back and in their tracks they leave many babies! So what do you expect from an empowered woman who is busy all the time, visit a sperm bank! Have your baby, and keep away from the stress the men bring in. Remember how the man runs once he realises life is within...when the child starts to walk and the very very difficult stages are past, some bring their sha...

Let me fill you in when you date an egocentric man. Everything rotates around him! From happiness to sorrow to adventure...whatever you can imagine As you walk down the streets; he will be full of himself. They are looking at me because of my new pair of shorts, shoes, hairstyle.. Why is that guy over looking at me? Can't the girls just mind their businesses? At home...are you moody because of me? We need to talk this, we need to talk that. Really, are you taking that serious? Why are you not talking to me? I knew it is me making you feel that way... They rant on and on and ooooon!  Men! This kind of shit gets really boring and frustrating and annoying! Can't a girl have time off reflecting? Can't we walk the streets and you get to care about me and cease from your crazy thoughts of people minding you! Can't we just sit in a restaurant and we focus on us? Count yourself lucky if this kind of man hasn't crossed your path. Man and woman, most time...

I have seen the crested crane a few times. Not very common in my surrounding As I inspected my vegetable garden Sounds rang in the air It was a strange sound Not from a machine But something alife I could tell it was a bird I craned my neck to catch a glimpse of what made the sound My attempt was paid off as two birds flying side by side crossed my sight passing right between me and the sun I couldn't tell what birds they were Tradition hit me a little What could that strange sound mean? Did it have a message for the one that heard it? I let it slide and after hours Mama remembered it She asked; "Did you hear the crane's sound?" I literally melted with excitement I can't describe It was just beautiful for I realised I had never heard a crane's cry! A discussion around the misfortune a crane can bring kicked in By this time, a cousin has joined us home It is believed a crane is always with a partner and should...