TIME

When every second beats away.
So do our souls draw nigh to that faithful day!
As the days of our lives count down like time-bombs.
Yet we know not when, when we shall be declared extinct.
Nor do we have any faint idea when shall cometh that day.
But until it grasps us by surprised.
Our time is fading away slowly.
Our generation is disappearing obliviously.
So let whosoever be wise, harness time and expend it judiciously.
Because, verily… time cannot be recycled.
God gave us an immense blessing...He gave us time.

WHAT I RESENT...

It was a beautiful morning.
I welcomed my breakfast with contempt.
Pushed it aside.
Rebuked mother’s hands for the cause.
And then chose pride over hunger.
But then I walked to the world and caught a glimpse.
Channeled my vision through the window…

There, was a young lad crawling.
His ribs clearly engraved on his chest.
And limbs deprived of flesh.
He was reaching a water well with the last ounce of energy.
Hoping to replenish life.
Seeking to quench his thirst.
Whiles the scavengers lurked behind in the shadows.
On trees patiently waiting.
Hoping death would be earlier to reach the boy, so they could enact a feast.

The spectacle ignited my mind.
Injured my emotions.
At the same time put the lights on in my heart.
I had so much but never appreciated it.
I wasted barrels of water when someone needed a drop.
I let the food go bad when a lad craved for a spoon full.
What I resented was someone’s paradise…

GLORIOUS misfortune.

I remember vividly; back then…
I was all glory; I had wings and so much luster.
A bright shining star.
And expectantly, I walked haughtily in a cloak of pride.
Thinking myself a Mozart Wolfgang or a Beethooven
composing the symphonies and melodies of my Life
the orchestrator of my achievements.
Not until I started to erode;
My wings fell off, my shine was murky.
I was a Samson whose locks were given a clean shave;
From whence, I struggled but to no profit…
Like pushing a mighty castle wall.
Or a veteran scuba diver who couldn’t save himself in swimming pool.
Then, I knew God was behind every man’s greatness.
These were clear signs, I embraced it.
A chance to choose humility.
And let my patience fuel my faith.
My hope and perseverance, the ignition.
As I chase God’s grace like a Bugatti with no sympathy.
I believe better days will sprout from these algorithms of misfortune.
The downfall of a man should make him think twice.
Is there any hassle that never teaches a lesson?

HARSH REALITY

When the second ticks astray.
When the heart beats away.
My soul falls to knees, weakening.
These days, time is growing stingy.
And I am getting closer to expiration by the ticking.
Its deafening steps are echoing louder, drawing nigh than I ever thought.
It’s so scary, people wither away so quickly like leaves in Harmattan.
And vanish rather mysteriously like vapour.

It’s a reality.
The richest of mankind can’t bargain their way out.
The most powerful have all failed to conquer it.
Skilled surgeons can’t avert it.
Nor can the wizards…
Every man succumbs to its summons.
One day I’d lie in a narrow chamber.
Inhumed in the earth, all alone with my deeds.
Yea, the tears will soon dry up, and the mourning will cease.
And soon enough, I will be forgotten like nothing.
Thank God, some will still remember me… in prayers.

Most of us are victims of its terror.
Mother is turgid with grief anytime I leave the house.
That I might not make it back home.
We try so much crafting mechanisms to secure ourselves.
Thinking we’d increase our life spans; am sure death always flexes a grin…
… At our futile efforts; it never changes a thing, its destiny.
Sometimes, I am scared, not of death.
But that I haven’t done enough.
To please my Lord and earn a place of ease in the afterlife.


It’s hard to wonder;
These achievements I chase will someday fall to ground like dust.
My countenance to be deprived of flesh.
Every night I go to bed imagining…
Whether I’d wake up to meet the sun or open my eyes in a grave.
But I do pray “Lord if I don’t make it in the morning”
“Admit me into your beautiful garden”.
It’s a mystery that everyone will come to know, but wouldn’t be able to tell.
When the call comes, you can’t ignore, hold or press the end button.
It’s a harsh reality.
… Every soul shall taste death.

WHERE DO THOUGHTS COME FROM?

Most of the time, we often surpass one of the most basic questions in life; where do our thoughts come from?, where do we all these great ideas in our minds emanate from? The famous eureka moment relates of the well renowned Archimedes conceiving one of the most important theories in science as he took a bath in his sink, did he just conceived that theory out of sheer luck? What about Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin, did he just walk into a prominent scientific discovery by accident? Well, these two are not the only excerpts, a number of imminent discoveries have succeeded through accidents and errors. Since the inception of humanity, man has built so many things, civilisation has always improved over and over the years as a result of discoveries that emanated in the neurones of the mind. But one of the questions that has always escaped us is the genesis of these great achievements tracing its way down to that simple idea that was conceived. Its amazing, how a simple idea that once lingered in mind could weave its way into a beautiful network of other ideas that would eventually be the foundation of an empire of success. In one moment, there are infinite ways, decisions, ideas and thoughts that our minds could conceive but how is it always a chance to pick the right one? There has to be something, an algorithm that always computes the probabilities and permutations to reduce it to the perfect one. There has to be a driving force that designs the blueprint of our lives by giving us the ideas that would make it a reality. All these voices that we sometimes here in our heads, they do have a source. There has to be tangible reason why we are all different, why we all have distinguished thought process, different intelligence quotient, why it is much easier for 'victims' synaesthesia to memorise things and why some others give in so easily to dementia. We all have a brain with the same features, but rather think in an absolutely different way...

"Recite in the name of your Lord who created. Created man from a clinging substance. Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous. Who taught by the pen. Taught man that which he knew not." - HOLY QURAN 96: 1 - 5.

There is a source to every single thought... great thoughts do come from GOD.

Rhyming Aspirations

Whether in the depths of penury.
Or in the summits of luxury.
In the radiance of ecstasy.
Or in the darkness of misery.
From whence I left the womb to the day I lay cold in the cemetery.
Nay, even in the companionship of freedom or the shackles of slavery.
In all my endeavours till the end of history.
I will always praise and worship God in my memory.
Live and preach His criterion of peace to all my friends and family.
Why the hatred, war, pride, mockery, felony and treachery?
All of these are not necessary.
Why can't we open the doors of knowledge and close the gate of a penitentiary.
Ignorance is the worst kind of mystery.
And wisdom pays the most, a handsome salary.
Life is but one, we can afford to live it like a lottery.
So I every day I seek refuge in my Lord from my worst enemy.
Right here within my soul, my closest adversary.
I pray that at the end of each single day, there is victory.

THE CALL

Behold, when it cometh, there is no bargain.
When it approaches, there is no appeal.
Nor is there bribery.
Whereof is one who can save me?
When then regrets shall flood in with intense impatience, but will be too late.

Many a people have joined the trail.
Many a humanity have boarded this train...never to come back again.
Whereof are the kings and queens of the earth?
Whereof are the great empires and the powerful dynasties?
Thereupon, all have witnessed the visitor and tasted of its fruit.

It lurks in the shadows.
An unannounced and unexpected guest.
Today it came, bypassed me and snatched my another.
But one day, it will come, overlook someone else and take me.
It will live with us till the trumpet is blown...
A question harasses my mind; "Am I well prepared to smile when it cometh to me one day?"

INSPIRATION: "EVERY SOUL WILL THE TASTE DEATH. THEN TO US WILL YOU BE RETURNED"
- HOLY QUR'AN 29:57

2. HOLY QUR'AN Chapter 75.

THE VALUE OF TIME.

♥ If you want to know the worth of one year, ask the student who failed last year.
♥ If you want to know the worth of one month, ask the mother who gave birth prematurely.
♥ If you want to know the value of one week, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
♥ If you want to know the value of one day, ask someone who has great news or is awaiting a special guest.
♥ If you want to know the worth of one hour, ask the student in an examination room
♥ If you want to know the value of one minute, ask the lady who just missed a flight.
♥ If you want to know the worth of one second, ask the lad who just escaped an accident.
♥ And if you want to know the worth of one Milli-second, ask the man in the Olympics...

Reference: Sheikh. YASSIR.

"Time is relative to the observer" - Einstein's Theory of Relativity.

Time is a valuable resource, let's cultivate it...
and make the maximum use of it.

THE ANNALS OF GREATNESS.

It is a beautiful day, the skyline explains it.
The melodies of the flying tribe announces a great blessing.
How the heavy clouds are submerged like feathers without pillars.
Rays of the sun travelling from years away revealing the beauty of nature.
So every morning let your sight meet the sky.
The beauty of nature; is there any other wonderful portrait?
God is one, God is greatest.

Eyes and telescopes steal a glance at greatness.
How mighty are the planets submerged into space without supports?
Travelling in perfect orbits with no blunder.
Even in the night, we are never in darkness; He appointed the moon as a lamp.
Verily, the annals of greatness are written in the heavens.
If you stare into the stars at night, they would confess to you…
God is one, God is greatest.

And when my lord sends her.
She meets my sight in her best appearance.
Glowing, sparkling and flexing all her colours.
My eyes are blessed with beauty, while emotions seep through my veins.
All my senses seem dead whiles my mind is alive.
And at that moment, I see God’s greatness in her.
I see God’s greatness in the aurora.

WHEN I WAS A CHILD...

He did wrong.
For that moment, he had gone stubborn.
And when mother scolded him.
He cried;
The wailing echoed in the walls of mother’s heart.
He cried;
And the tears stained his face.
And even though, the pain was still eating his flesh.
He raced graciously into mother’s arms.
Then mother opened her arms wide in reception.
And hugged her son.
Cuddled him in her warmth.
And kissed him on the forehead.
Despite the war that erupted between them.
There was a strong bond that intertwined their destinies.
A strong connection that is beyond blood and genes.
The bond between a mother and a child…

A GLIMPSE OF DEATH

It was gentle night; the breeze explained everything as I lay on my bed trying to comprehend all the figures and formulas in my engineering thermodynamics handout. I am the nocturnal type; I spend most of the time in the night reading rather than sleeping. Well, it is much easier an effort whenever I have a hot Lipton tea by my side. As usual, it was midnight and I was in my books. This time around, things didn’t go on well as after a while I could hear nature calling out for me; I was reluctant to respond. I taught I could play cunning as I stubbornly tried not to succumb to sleep, my eyelids were so heavy, I would probably say it felt like pianos were sitting on them. They struggled against slumber but nature did prove me wrong. I slipped into trance in a flash, unnoticed. It wasn’t like I was awake and it wasn’t a dream either, it was something in the middle. I found myself in a world I have never imagined; my body lay hopelessly on the floor, void of life. It seemed as if a black wall separated my soul from my body. I couldn’t move; my soul struggled to find its way back to the human body. At that moment, even time was petrified by the spectacle, as it budged into a slow pace and I could hear its ticking sound as the bold stumping sound of the African elephant. If I could steal a chance, I would tell the world Einstein was right – indeed, time is relative to the observer. As my heart abnormally beat like funeral drums, so did my time on earth count down like a time bomb – it was defined. Mother kept on calling out my name in the Dagbani dialect, “Nazif, wake up, Nazif wake up!!!, please wake up!!!, don’t do this to me” her shrill voice accentuating the degree of her anxiety. She tried to exterminate the despair that lived in her fears and rather feed the flames that would ignite her hope that her only son was still alive. I wished I could at least hold her by the hand and confess “Mama, I am dead, I am gone, please tell the world that God is alive” but I was robbed of speech, so numb, if not, worse than a deserted log - totally lifeless. I was caught in a war between two completely distinct realms, the thrilled voices of my blood lineage were now fading away into resounding echoes – I could barely hear them as their mouths screamed out my name. It was a ‘magic’ moment; the life of this material world was giving way for the other as it helplessly stood by the hallway and watched as I was been whisked away. Dirges played in the background and the entire atmosphere lacked even a whiff of life. I conceived the best of my moments, of my family and peers – I didn’t forget, I couldn’t forget. I had limited time, so I quickly flip through those great moments as if I was revising for a biology exam. And when I saw that perfect picture of mother and me on my eighth birthday, my eyes were a flood of tears and I would cry a river; if only I had tears, if only I had eyes by then. I felt like jumping out of the timeline but I am sure death flexed a grin after reading that thought because that was so impossible for the lad. If only I had a second chance. “O’ Lord, please spare me another chance” I cried out to the King, my faint voice tried to beckon the ears of the heavens. I was still very young, I hadn’t fulfilled my noble promises I made to this world and my Allah. More to the point, I didn’t want to hatch a pinch of thought about the state of mother after I lay six feet down the dust, mother? I don’t know how life would mean to her afterwards, and my dad, I was going to miss my best pal. “The good die very young”, I know, but I couldn’t tell my fate, my destination was a vague question in my mind. If I was perfectly assured that I would reside in heaven, in gardens where honey was a river, hard liquor overthrown by the purest of wines and more importantly where death was no more. “O’ Lord, give me another chance. Let me live. I promise I would voice this out to the world. I will let my friends know that life is but an insignificant dimension.” After uttering my last words, I just imagined how my roommates would wake up to the rising sun to meet a still Naz who was probably skipping a lecture in bed. I know that, after some minutes of fruitless efforts to wake me up, “He’s just playing dead” I bet that’s the first thought of anticipation that would echoe in the room of their ignorant brains. “Never miss, Sunday church service” that would be the parable I would preach to them, if I bargained with time for at least a Pico second. Just as I relinquished the hope that I would meet the next morning, I recapitulated – travelled through time, back to my birth date but yet, struggled to tell my death date. How sad? The only thing left on the menu was the arrival of the Angel of death, to execute his usual time-stringent duty - to strip me off my mortal soul. My greatest fear is death, well, it was just a few seconds away, I have never been scared in my life not until this moment. It all happened when I was whiling away time with these heart stabbing emotions, swoosh!!!, I gushed out of sleep like the fresh water of the springs. My eyelids slipped open and I could see the four corners of my room, and my roommates, as they comfortably lay in their beds still in slumber. If the statement ‘believing in this situation’ was a man, then I promise I had never seen him, the real world now seemed like a dream, but it wasn’t; God heard my cry, wiped my tears and gave me a second chance, Alhamdulillah my heart spoke. I wept, the tears stained my heart. I stole a quick glance at time, it all happened in a couple of minutes, how quaint? I lay on my bed and fixed my gaze on the ceiling, whiles my mind was absent trying to understand where I went and why I was still here, but it was too complicated. How useless I was a few minutes ago, how useless the Homo sapiens species were without their souls. And today, I confess that we are all nothing worthy of mentioning without God. Ikhlas, the verse of the Holy Quran that expatiates the oneness of God, I prayed and till now, it is as fresh as the morning dew in my memory - a favourite verse. This moment will forever remain in my memory, I have been saved and transformed. I don’t know what to say, I have had a glimpse of death. We may have fun in this world but I promise it is a scary realm out there. Let’s seek happiness in this world and the hereafter. The world needs change…

SOMETIMES... WHEN I AM ALONE

When I am alone.
Everything is still but silence.
Perfect timing, my thoughts come to life.
Emotions that lingered in refuge wake up and free themselves.
Flashback memories flip like a slide-show.
The pain is prevalent;
There is war burning down the peace everywhere.
Fueled by politics, money, fame and power.
A ravenous infection. Is slaying one another the antidote?
Even with everything, we’ll go to the grave with nothing.
Are we that forgetful? That we are all sons of Adam and daughters of Eve?
The newspaper read “Man beheads boy for money rituals”.
Stories like these can reduce the sincerest bravest of men surrender to tears.

When I am alone.
I just don’t get it.
“Home sweet home”
But sometimes, it tastes not less than gall.
Should even blood relations hold grudges?
We promise each other heavily at the feet of the mountain.
But when we reach the summit, we catch amnesia.
O’ God who else should I trust anymore?
Now that I see these shattered pieces of trust sleeping on the floor.
Kids are starving, striving for an ort.
Elsewhere, money is flying off and sleeping on the dance-floor.
Where’s the sympathy?
At times, I feel weak when I conceal the truth.

When I am alone.
I just don’t get it.
Those who deserve love are the ones served with hurt.
Whom who worked hardest, earned the least, left in the lurch.
These mysterious thoughts are the knots engulfing my neurons.
Loneliness is a poet’s best quill.
Emotions and thoughts are dumb and deaf, but a pen never is.
When it can’t stand agony, it squirts sentiments.
And before it falls asleep, I now seem to get everything.
The Verses of the Quran unweaves all these cryptic tendencies.
Then I reveal a faint smile…”God is perfect
And He promises the best of days” my brain says.
When I am alone…God is with me.
And I know, He’d never leave us alone.

SHATTERED DREAMS

He was a lad, one whom was bright.
Born in the corn fields with a transfixed first sight.
Still, rigidly locked unto the sky.
As years renewed, but for night cometh, he'd admire the birds fly.
How alluring to him, the fashion of their flight.
Thereupon He fell in love, always passionately flying a kite.
Under the harsh sun rays, behind fences, there he stood waiting to steal a glance.
At airplanes hurryng off the runway, springing into turbulence.
Verily, it inscribed a smile on a young fresh visage.
A dream dreamt long to sit behind the cockpit of a flying machine.
"At the least, i shoud afford a joyride behind a passenger seat" he wished.
To soar high, amongst the floridly adorned clouds.
Afloat, riding the turbulence and focusing his gaze at the beauty of nature crafted by God.
But, at a second thought, the ambition would always stall.
And he plummeted from his aspirations.
Despair loomed, patiently snatching remnants of hope.
The broad smile that once brightened evaporated and left gloom.
His dreams were shattered; nay, it was no fault of the young lad.
Father and mother hassled to provide sustenance.
In penury, the family were denizens.
How would he make it to flight school?
or the least, a plane ticket but by God?
A that trice, impossible was a feeling well understood than word.
His dreams rendered aphotic.
But I reckon, the world could have kidnled a torch.
To illuminate the path of his dream to success.
Many chaps today wear the same shoes.
And yea, someone can kindle a torch, and make their dreams a reality...
...Be a hero, wake someone up and help make their dream a reality.!

SOUL TRAIN

Fresh page, my pen relates the odyssey of a soul train.
Life often gives spectacles we can barely explain.
The tears are manifest, like clouds can barely restrain rain.
Doctor, doctor please, the anaesthesia succumbed to the pain.
In the midst of these earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes.
Despair emanates but faith restricts complain.
The news now a bare scare, the well-being my heart can barely maintain.
Genocide and homicide painting our walls with blood stains.
Hideous, tainting our memories with indelible stains.
Our hearts are heavy, whereof are the cranes?
Our leaders? they hoard, vague promises, they feign.
What a cruel bargain?
Someone tell me, whereof is the freedom? Tyranny is now shackles and chains.
The spoils of war, gore, mass graves marring our beautiful terrain.

Deep sentiments, my pen relates the expedtiton of a soul train.
The world needs positive change.
Everyone can be a hero, commence a camapign.
There resides a feat in every toil, labour and strain.
Yea, extinguish the scorn, chauvinism and disdain.
Peace in our hearts, peace in the world, we should sustain.
And feed hope, patience and supplications to the sane brain.
Great legacies, pave the way, like neon lights glowing on our lanes.
We are struggling, rowing but tomorrow we will soar like airplanes.
The bravest hearts are ones who free truth bare and plain.
Our prayers beckon the heavens, never to be in vain.
For a day, all the filth of the fiasco would go down the drain.
God will recompense the oppressed, decapitated and the slain.
In lofty mansions, in green gardens on high thrones to rejoice again and again.
As perfectly as God ordained.
My pen goes to sleep, from a voyage of a soul train.

Do they not look at the sky above them? How we have made it and adorned it and there are no flaws in it? And the earth - we have spread it out and set thereon mountains standing firm and produced therein every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs).

QURAN 50: 6 - 7.

QUOTE OF THE DAY.

if today, you pray to God for a gold ring and tomorrow you get a wooden one, then that was the perfect choice.

QUOTE OF THE DAY.

if you have't experienced mistakes and misfortunes, then you haven't learnt anything yet.

QUOTE OF THE DAY.

invest in God and earn more than 100% interest.

QUOTE OF THE DAY.

"i didnt fail the test, I only found out 100 ways how not to go wrong" - BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

QUOTE OF THE DAY.

"In the eyes of destiny, there are no such things as accidents and casualities"

QUOTE OF THE DAY.

"One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind" - NEIL AMSTRONG.

QUOTE OF THE DAY.

"A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty, has wasted thirty years of his life" - MUHAMMAD ALI.

QUOTE OF THE DAY.

"...Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" - JOHN F. KENNEDY

CHRONICLES OF LIFE

At that moment of life, he was so high.
He soared in the sky.
Beaming and gleaming.
It was all sail hail.
And many were his whale tail.
He took them, and they followed him like trails.
Like a beautiful comet.
Their sustenance came from his pocket.
All they did was bask in his light.
And he had more friends, some lurked in the night.

Those who seemed nicest only cracked the Mona Lisa smile.
Smiling! What an intricate assignment for them.
The pain was passionate but shrouded, and they still wore the disguise.
In the depths of their hearts, the hate beat along.
Jealousy tore their emotions like a fierce conflagration.
Eyes glowing, green, greener and greenest.
Waiting for the perfect moment that the malice will suffice.
To extinguish his lights, annihilate the greatness.
And reduce him to their level or even worse...

Yea, their wishes came true,
The unfortunate dawned.
He lost his wings.
And he plummets from the heights.
Everybody was there but few hands spread open.
To cushion his fall.
He fell so hard; he couldn’t rise to his feet.
Then afterwards, he crawled while they moved in fleets.
Now, he had few friends, and he did recognize them all.

Now he wallowed in the mud.
Few were sad though with the lad.
Those he could call family, like true blood.
They would help cleanse him.
But some of many rejoiced at his dim.
They trampled on him and bathe him with spits.
Now they were shinning and he craved to bask in the light lit.
But, the best that reached him were only shadows.
Eyes believed but the mind concluded it was an illusion.
The tears made gave him pure vision
And he learnt during this session…
“Men have broken more trust than glasses”

PRAYER OR SLEEP?

Yet again it is dawn.
The loud shrill crows of the rooster broadcasts.
Nay, the harsh sound of the alarm irritates.
The only euphony is the Athan (call to prayer).
As it rains through the city.
It summons towards the end “… come to prayer, come to success”.
My ears can barely hearken.
Really, at this trice, sleep has never been so sweet.
The soul entombed in it at this summit.
The gentle breeze heartens it.
Tired muscles pledge for an excuse.
And the mind says I have gone too deep to rouse.
Nothing is enough to win a bargain against slumber.
But, yet again the Athan proclaims “…prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep”.
What! It reverberates.
This time, it tickles my ears.
Ignites the least fortitude buried in this clammy spectacle.
The two worlds are before me leaving me in perplexity; sleep or prayer?
Yea, verily, the promise of my lord is true.
And ultimately I should rise to prayer.
Alas, the war is over, I walk to the sink with drowsy eyes.
Dragging my feet in a lethargic rhythm.
Water bathes my skin during ablution.
Cleansing it and rejuvenating divinity.
Buoyantly, my sins would go down the drain.
There, the mat sleeps on the floor while my feet rest on it.
I begin my prayer appreciating my efforts…
That prayer is better than sleep.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

God heals, the doctor takes the fee - BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

A BALLAD...

Once, you lived with us.
The picture album says it all.
But today, the sorrow is manifest.
Your abode, a void.
Now you only live in our memories,
Memories stained with your love, care and compassion.
In our hearts,
Hearts that you’ve created craters with your unforeseen calling.
In our minds,
Bullied with the continual imagination of your departure.
And in our prayers,
That we say relentlessly for the safety of your soul.
So I write this ballad for you...
A ballad for a fallen soul.

Now as I stand near you, supplicating.
I can hardly believe.
How I can’t even smell a whiff of your existence.
But can feel it all from within.
I can barely restrain the tears.
Like how the clouds are unable to restrain the rains when they gather.
My eyes completely inundated.
But the hope in this prayer at least leaves them dry.
That you are in radiance, in safe hands.
Restores joy to our hearts.
That your salats (worship) and good deeds will keep you company.
Inflames my desire to join you
So I write this ballad for you...
A ballad for a fallen soul.

I know that staring into these pictures would only ignite emotions and stir up tears.
And erupt an earthquake in my heart that no seismograph can read.
Why you left so early; only my Lord knows best.
But @ least it gives life to verses and supplications.
That nourishes my sacred thoughts.
And clothe my naked mind.
Your legacy still glows on our pathways.
As my feet rests on this soil;
I know that my Lord who gave life to the dead earth.
Will again give life to dead bones.
And by His mercy, we’d all dwell in manifest exultation.
In holy mansions.
In gardens underneath which rivers flow.
Reclining on thrones…for eternity.
So I write this ballad for you…
A ballad for a fallen soul.

Co- author: MOHAMMED SHAMUDEEN

QUOTE OF THE DAY

At least once in our lifetime, we all have tasted slavery... sometimes, we become slaves of our own selves.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

There is a big difference between knowledge and intelligence; intelligence is a gift, knowledge is a treasure.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

The future belongs to those who prepare for it today - MALCOM X

Welcome. Let's read, share and learn...: TALES OF MY TOWN

Welcome. Let's read, share and learn...: TALES OF MY TOWN: "We are all distant relatives A blood lineage intertwines our destinies. It was peace and harmony. We were many brothers of the same parents..."

TALES OF MY TOWN

TALES OF MY TOWN
We are all distant relatives
A blood lineage intertwines our destinies.
It was peace and harmony.
We were many brothers of the same parents.
We ate from God’s mercies.
And shared the happiness.
Till the beast came to my town and made it its own.
Tearing us apart, dividing our ties, Veiling our vision.
Enmity poisoned the faith that spread through our veins.
Hatred conquered our minds.
And the love that ever lived now lingered in scarcity.
We forgot our roots; that we all came from the same womb.


Blood spilled, gliding on the ground like rainwater.
Unity was broken into sects.
One was broken into many.
So our relations became weaker and weaker.
Hypocrites were seen at sanctuaries and also at the war zone
Dressing every place with the sin in their bullets.
That traveled and sought refuge in men’s flesh.
The police sirens always reminded us of our plight;
The devil was smiling; Sons of Adam took lives they could never create.
Mothers felt most of the pain, they shed Niagara Falls
But how did the crying avail them?
They were becoming widows, their husbands where now sleeping in coffins
and their children were becoming orphans.
They were women becoming the men of the house


I wonder how God felt.
Emotions grew wilder and the tears overflew banks.
I paid the price; stigma followed me everywhere I went.
Fathers said they never had money for books.
But bank cheques from the same hand were issued for rifles.
Now we had many warriors but few disciples.
Schools were closed, its gates wailed for justice.
Prisons got flooded, its gates begged for relief.
So did the morgues and the graves.
Children suffered the consequences, marooned in ignorance.
Hysteria and trauma harassed their feeble emotions.
The cold memories wouldn’t leave their minds.
A ravenous virus that might decide their future.
A bright one to be ruined by the slide shows of pain, gore and massacre.

Today, let’s look into each others' eyes.
And tell whether we do not resemble.
And tell whether we do not emerge from the same tree.
What are we fighting for?
What are we dying for?
What legacies are we leaving behind for a generation?
What if we held hands and help hoist the flag?
What if we killed the selfish desire and let harmony live?
Bury our differences and resurrect our rich history of brotherliness.

Dedication: To all who have witnessed the full rigors and pain of war. Personally, to my brothers and sisters in Tamale, Yendi and Bawku.

Inspiration: “ O mankind, we created you from a single (pair) of male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not ye may despise (each other))…” Qur’an 49:13.

Quote of The Day

If you educate a man, you indicate an individual. if you educate a woman, you educate a whole nation. - J.E. KWEGYIR AGGREY.

HOUSE OF PAIN

HOUSE OF PAIN.

When the day came.
The pages stared at me.
But my mind was blunt.
So the pen wouldn’t bleed.
My hand quivered with anxiety and
Sweat soaked my paper.
I left the exam hall dressed in intense grief.
My eyes greeted the heavens with despair.
And my mind gathered questions;
The sleepless nights, the sore eyes, the migraine; where were the fruits of my toil?
Did my prayers get lost on its way to heaven? It echoed in my mind.
I wept, the tears stained my heart.
My zeal was robbed, the vigor was buried and I almost set hope free.
My faith mellowed down to a blue flame.
But I rekindled it with patience and perseverance.

Yesterday, I lived in a house of pain.
Today by God I live in mansion of light and I will shine more.

When the day came,
Yet again the phone announced her presence,
She spoke, the words seeped through my heart,
Reducing it into smithereens,
The remains could only pump blood.
Undoubtedly, no surgeon could fix it.
Loneliness was my friend, pain was my bosom and thoughts ruled my mind.
Insomnia slept beside me at night and the only ounce of hope I had was depression.
My eyes greeted the heavens with despair,
And my mind gathered questions;
Where did I go wrong?
My only flaw was that I was faithful.
Then I surrendered; “I will remain in this abyss forever”
My faith mellowed down to a blue flame,
But I rekindled it with patience and perseverance.

Yesterday, I lived in a house of pain,
Today by God I live in mansion of light and I will shine more.

When the day came,
Everybody was clothed in happiness, gleaming with brightness.
I was clothed in tattered gloom in manifest sadness.
They brightened the panorama with smiles.
But, I tainted the picture with a sad look.
I worked harder but they flew higher.
My heart often squealed.
It scared me whenever their engines roared.
I read more, but they excelled better.
Guess I had to ask life if she was a fair judge.
I was a good lad but misfortune struck me from all directions.
I was a good lad but death wouldn’t stop picking from my vicinity.
My eyes greeted the heavens with despair,
And my mind gathered questions;
O’ Lord have you forsaken me?
My faith mellowed down to a blue flame.
But I rekindled it with patience and perseverance.

Yesterday, I lived in a house of pain.
Today by God I live in mansion of light and I will shine more.


“Thy Lord Has not forsaken thee, nor thou He hath thee. And verily the latter portion will be better for thee than the former. And thy Lord will give unto thee so that thou will be content” Qur’an 93:3-5.

“And We shall try you until we test among you who strive their utmost and persevere in patience; and We shall try your reported (mettle)” Qur’an: 47:31

Google the last: Qur’an 94:5-8.

Quote of The Day

Behold! the tongue slays more men than do swords...

Quote Of the Day.

It is often not how far the journey is, but the difficulty is in the first step.

There was a problem with commenting but it has been rectified. You can now leave your comments. Sorry for the inconvinience. Enjoy.

THE REALM OF TIME

When the earth rotates,
When the sun flexes his light,
When the moon takes over at night,
When the tides rise,
Men respond to my call.


I define every event.
I am yesterday; I live in your memories,
I tell all the stories of the ancients
But some say I live in the stars.
I am tomorrow,
Illusionist claim and struggle to predict me, what are the horoscopes for?


When the shadows incline themselves,
When seasons come and go,
When the clock ticks,
When the pendulum swings.
Men respond to my call.



Merchants and economists adjudge me the greatest asset,
They say i am money, but still can’t hoard me.
I am precious, beware of the swift hands of procrastination.
Some say I fly, but I have no wings.
Some say I speed, but I have no wheels.
I wait for no man.


When the church bells toll, when the athan rains through the city.
Men of religion know what I announce.
They tread to their sanctuaries.
To render their mantra.
The Quran relates my chronicles.
Ecclesiastes proclaims ‘‘There’s time for everything’’.


Einstein said I am relative to the observer; one hour in a lecture and one hour of fun, I differ.
Ray Cummings says I prevent everything from happening at once.
Faraday couldn’t complete his equations without me.
And Isaac newton couldn’t define his laws of motion without me.


when the cock crows.
when the birds tweet.
When the lambs bleat.
they tell what i tell.
Fate and I stroll together, no one can turn back my hands.


When the bells chime,
When the pages of the calendar flip.
When the sand seeps through the hour glass.
When the drummer beats his drums.
Men respond to my call.



I am the older than world, maybe even the Big Bang.
I dwelled among the Cro-Magnons, the dinosaurs and lads of the Nano-age.
If i wasn't around what would anthropologist have to say?
I am the beginning and eternity.



Scientists ascribe me to cesium atoms.
Relating me to most of their functions.
Even today, they are struggling to craft a machine of my kind.
The question is do I really exist?
Or am I just a quantity?



I was appointed by God as a realm to mankind.
Free to everybody.
Flexible to suite anybody; you could walk or drive.
But not everybody knows how to use me.
Those who succeed would testify to my assistance.
I am of the essence…

THE FALLEN STARS.

I step out to the youthfulness of the night and steal a glance at the stars
They shine so bright, but depths of my heart are filled with darkness and dressed with scars
While my conscience is struggling, “where are my grandfathers?”
I close my eyes and let these cold memories sink in my hearts
My grandfather is gone, my friend is no more, our loved ones and relatives have all departed, they are… the fallen stars


The cry of a new born echoes in the morning.
It is not long, the sorrow of a departed soul looms, the atmosphere is filled with mourning.
I look at my calendar; verily death to the living is a warning.
I pray to the lord; “let me see those faces again in the beautiful garden”.


To your right; it is a naming ceremony…eyes are embraced by birth.
To your left; it is a funeral song… ears are warned of death.
It is an appointed time, absolutely inevitable, not even impeccability in health
You return to the dust, where is all the wealth?


It is hard to see their souls vanish into the in-existence; it is by the will of God.
There is nothing to worry about, this is only the world.
For endless bliss is in heaven.

Sometimes i reminisce about the people&memories in my life and just when i almost crack a smile..
A flinches snatches it, cos some of them are no more..missing in this life.

Sometimes, I struggle to conceive the voice of the departed
I try to spend a minute seeing them again
I hope by the Mercy of My Lord, we reunite again

Welcome. Let's read, share and learn...: A WONDERFUL NIGHT.

Welcome. Let's read, share and learn...: A WONDERFUL NIGHT.: "A WONDERFUL NIGHT The night breeze as friendly as a baby’s touch. The fragrance of the tender buds, it exposes, the sea rages though. Th..."

A WONDERFUL NIGHT.

A WONDERFUL NIGHT

The night breeze as friendly as a baby’s touch.

The fragrance of the tender buds, it exposes, the sea rages though.

The sweet whistling of the wind, the rhythm of the leaves as they rattle, the recurring chirping...nature’s orchestra.

The moon as a dazzling lamp, the fireflies illuminating the sorrow of the night.

In the depth of this beautiful night, alone I sit on this beach
And the only presence in my mind is a beautiful portrait of my beloved.

A memory that glows like the aurora, of an aura of beauty.

Eyes closed, thoughts running deep in my mind like river currents, yet so serene, a bold smile on my face.

Verily, it was that night that intertwined our destinies, yet your face shone in the twilight...my beloved

Quote Of The Day.

If you know the worth, similitude and weight of an atom, then you'd have an idea how unimaginable the greatness and favours of God is.

Quote Of The Day.

"Mathematics is the language with which God created the universe" - Galileo.

PRAYER OF A SON.

It isn't the first time.
It happens so many a times.
Anytime my gaze is frozen to a standstill.
My mind is absent on a journey.
Wondering how you could display God's mercy.
And no matter how hard i try.
I still can't figure out why.
No amount of love can requite this emotional love.
In its intricacy and divinity.
Hormones boiling,heated up by the spirit.
Two reals; heart and soul.
So anytime my wings are humbled and my forehead kisses the floor.
My mind is alive, and lips whisper.
Translating emotions into prayer.
A prayer of a son.
Flowing through veins transcending human comprehension.
Micro-decibels struggling to beckon the ears of great heaven.
If i had 1 wish,i would hasten.
That we'd always be together in this world and the hereafter.
I love you mother, I love you father.

OH MOTHER, I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE

Oh Mother, I just can’t imagine…
My eyes would wail in pain.
The tears would nourish the lakes like a never-ending rain.
The feeble heart that resides in my chest would wither.
Your love is what fed it with all the glitter.

Oh Mother, I just can’t imagine…
Anytime I fix my gaze to the heavens, my mind is absent.
Wondering how you demonstrate that God’s mercy through mankind is present.
The Love is thicker than blood, it is imbedded in my genes.
I will pacify your love to snippets and smithereens.

Oh Mother, I just can’t imagine…
My pain is your pain, your pain is my pain.
Your gain is my gain, my gain is your gain.
If my mind is bleak, you appear as my beacon.
Blind or deaf, I still feel you in my memories.

Oh Mother, I just can’t imagine…
Even if I could fly, I would humble my wing.
And wait for the harmony that honesty will bring.
Even if I could ignite, I will quench the pride.
And let humility boast of its pride.

Oh mother, I just can’t imagine…
For 9 months, we didn’t only share a cord, our destinies are intertwined
We were crafted from one piece, like two sides on one coin.
We walked through the traps and thorns but yet our feet did not bleed.
You bear the torch, and I will follow your lead.

Oh Mother I Just can’t imagine…
O’ Lord you gave me three times what you gave me of my father.
No amount of noble speech can compete your love, Oh mother.
No bars of gold, no carat of diamonds and pearls can requite your efforts.


Oh Mother, I just can’t imagine…
That one day we will be apart.
It’s so much pain, then I remember God and hope fills my heart.
When my head kisses the floor, my lips whisper a supplication.
That one day our Lord would reunite us in paradise, in manifest exultation.

Oh Mother, I just can’t imagine…
I just can’t imagine losing you.
I desire to cuddle in your warmth for ever...

FARTHEST BUT CLOSEST.

If you have ever been lucky to occupy one of the seats of an airplane. As the plane soars into the skies and you get higher and higher, somewhat like 30,000 ft into the sky, trees and buildings are viewed in a manner resembling Lego pieces with the landscape beautifully spread wide as carpets and the clouds perfectly submerged into space without pillars - it is undoubtedly an amazing sight. As for the homo sapiens, dots would not even be an appropriate description; maybe atoms would. Yet earth is one of the many planets in the solar system.  Which in turn is also a subsidiary of the milky way. The Milky Ways is one of the numerous galaxies in the universe, by which we would have require about 10,000 light years to transcend its boundaries (Light years is a unit astrophysicists use in measuring the unimaginable long distances associated with space travel). Even if we achieved this impossible task, we'd have to cross seven strong heavens to get to God. If the greatest rocket-scientists where to struggle to compute this incredible distance, then we'd probably be thinking of 'infinity'. In that sense, man would have concluded that God is farthest, but in reality He's closest...closer to us than our jugular veins.

A Poem: IN EVERY DROP OF SWEAT...

Sometimes, life is like wondering in the desert probing an oasis.

Tired of the struggle, we almost tear off the shackles and set hope free.

Wings are flapping, faith wants to flee.

Without it, it feels hard to breathe.

I keep it to my bosom and never give it a chance to leave.

In every drop of sweat, there’s an ocean of feat.

In these dark times, our hands are up to the hairline.

As we search the skies for the rays of sunshine.

We close our eyes and remember God.

And it gives our mind sight to see.

That by His will, our portraits hang in the hallway of success.

In every drop of sweat, there’s an ocean of feat.

I always thought I’d be in the spotlight forever.

Everything was a beam, gleaming, so I never thought of never.

Until the Lord sent misfortunes sweeping me off my feet like an angry flood.

It calmed the pride that ran in my blood.

So today I proclaim, I am nothing without Him.

Some barely make it in a day without a deal.

Some others make it in a day without a meal.

If faith is a prison, then don’t let us escape a life sentence.

Help us in this struggle; cuddle us in your presence.

In every drop of sweat, there’s an ocean of feat.

The ‘lucky’ ones are struggling to keep laughing.

The others are struggling to stop crying.

The contrast between both worlds leaves pressure creeping.

The urge to rise and race.

We prefer a snail’s pace with His amazing grace.

In every struggle, there is breath to keep us alive.

Faith, hope and patience are the keys to survive.

They are but fire balls, blazing hot.

We keep our fists closed, feel the pain, yet grief not.

In every drop of sweat, there’s an ocean of feat.

This life is a law.

The struggle is war.

The aftermath is more.

The lord takes us through the storm to get us to the shore.

So, In every drop of sweat, there’s an ocean of feat.

The mind is naked.

The mind is sacred.

Clothe it with the Holy verses.

And in these hard times, the demons are proposing.

Playing tricks on our thoughts with premonitions.

Empty hopes, blind visions leading to perdition.

We fret not; In the name of God is our redemption.

These hassles are tests that do not blot ink from the tips of pens.

Good results could shoot us up into heavens.

Somewhere we could call home,

Reclining on thrones.

But, in every drop of sweat, there’s an ocean feat.

Peep through the window and see the world, peace is rare.

These days, the news is a bare scare.

The shocks, the tears, the hysteria, the pain.

We doubt not, our lord is a perfect King.

In every drop of sweat, there’s an ocean of feat.

Every mother striving to feed her kids.

Every father struggling to pay the bills.

Lads gasping to support the family.

And the broken-hearted laboring to get pain out of memory,

But, in every drop of sweat, there’s an ocean of feat.

In every street, slum, suburb, school, city, country, continent, every society.

The sweat is dripping.

The tears are trickling.

The muscles are working.

And the mind is stressing.

But, In every drop of sweat, there’s an ocean of feat.

“So verily with every difficulty, there is relief. Verily with every difficulty there is relief.  Therefore when thou art free (from thine immediate task), still labour hard and to thy Lord turn all attention” Qur'an 94: 5-8.

A thousand thoughts #1

FAITH WILL ALWAYS CONQUER FEAR.