YOU ARE THE REASON...

There are no stars in the sky tonight 

not even the whitish face of the moon at sight- 

to bring down its rays. 

So my thought travels afar 

along miles across hills and houses 

among shrubs and across the silent sea 

while wishing this verse seeks her wherever she may be. 

you are the reason 

why my pen lace the inks and skates on paper. 

you are the reason  why my heart beat makes rhymes with time 

seeking you out yet at prime. 

But I am yet to set face on her 

just like warriors dream of conquered lands. 

But here that i sit 

penning this word to paper 

every word tells tales of her. 

Tales of a lady pious 

every great man do long for. 

Tales of a woman 

so adoring like the gulls adore the sea. 

Wherever she may be 

I implore this poetic verses to bring her smile. 

You are the reason... 

why i do tremble 

not out of fear- 

but of the tales that love beholds. 

You are the reason 

why I so much longed to hear you call 

You are the reason 

why I long to see the winter fall. 

I do believe love exist in the strangest of places 

and If it has been written- 

I shall trace my steps to you 

wherever life bid you be- among millions of faces 

so proud to be blessed to have your love.

Ayinla Muyideen 2014

So young and beautiful

Basking in the bliss of youth.

So calm and cool-

Like a sonorous evening breeze

They talked of her beauty

And how like ants girls-Want to share her company

And the men cast lustful eyes whenever she walks-by.

Those praises cast shadows upon her being,

Sends her wandering in the shade of lust,

Buried her in the sand of solitude,

Awaken her to the sounds of independence,

Leading her to self-destruct.

If only she knew-That her beauty would someday bring her pain

And the air around was not a sight of glee,

She won't have embraced such life of vain.

She fell in loveAnd she gave it her all,

She remained fervent till the day of her fall.

The past she kept-was exposed by her future.

She withered away like a treeNever to bring forth fruit,

She no longer was the lady of his heart,

The soft hands that once touched her flesh-

now made bruises over them.

One day she went homeDangling from a noose

To everyone's muse.

It was all over the news-

Of how love was her crucifix.

To all the ladies who died by their own hands and to those living, do not take your own soul.

(C)2012 Ayinla Muyideen Adeleke

The Pains of a father.

There in tattered clothes he sat,
Lost in the confines of a deep thought,
To himself he muttered; “this must be the devil’s wrath.”
Life had brought him nothing but oats of pain;
Penniless as he was, this made him insane.

He had amassed all the degrees,
But to success he seems not to have paid his fees.
Darkness had spread across his destiny,
All his fat dreams had been made tiny.

Trickles of tears dropped down his wrinkled face
As he stared at his youth in a frame which hung on a wall,
Those were days of grace-
When he was a student at Awo hall.
Time had stolen his dream-
Which had been made a shallow stream.

All nights his bed was cold
From the warmth of a mystery unfold.
The feminine chord that held his love
Had flown like a wandering dove-
In search of pleasure and a greener pasture,
In awe he cried at his miserable torture.

He looked on at his sleeping children,
Together they had wandered in penury’s den,
He had brought them their misfortune
And they their future seems to be in ruin.
He seems to have seen God from his ceiling
As he whispered words of supplication;
“Lord, make these little ones a cure for my infection.”

To him smile never seems to exist.
He has been subjected to shame
As debt is next to his name.
Years he had survived –
Brings his hopelessness revived.
One cold night he had thought of murder-
Too tired of his life to go further.

What example will he be to his children?
“A suicidal-poverty stricken father!”
He resented his children calling him such
And vowed they must survive the scorch.

As the clock ticks to dawn
And night to the unknown it seems to run.
With hope he went off to work,
Even if it is to whisk loads at the dock,
To survive and secure the little one’s future.

I’m proud to be me

They said I was black
And you were white,
I am not bothered by color,
I am proud to be me.

They said I was wrong
And you were right,
Let their conscience be the judge,
I am proud to be me.

They said I was dull
And you were wise,
My works will speak,
I am still proud to be me

They said you were tall
And I was small,
In the fields of success, size doesn’t count.
I am proud to be me.

They said you were nice
And I was rude,
I am proud of my actions,
You can never be me.

They said I was poor
And you were rich,
My days are still to come.
I am proud to be me.

They said I was a poet
And you were a warlord,
The pen is my sword-
I am proud of what I do.

They said you built a mansion
And I live on the street,
Did they question how you came about your wealth?
I am not bothered, I am proud to be me.

They said I am me-
And you are you.
We are two different being
I am glad you will never be me.

WHEN THE DAY IS GONE

When the day is gone,

I look back at all my works undone.

A friend I promised a visit, and-my loved one I promised a day out.

These promises i never fulfilled,

it was not my fault cause the day seems so short.

When the day is gone,

I stare through the office window-

just to catch a glimpse of the sun sailing home.

The once busy street deserted,

market women biding one another a restful night.

The street touts running after men in suit-

for part of what they have made from the day.

When the day is gone,

my heart breathes of what tomorrow will be.

"Will it ever be like today, or it will be quite different?"

That's not all that matters,

but a feeling that I am getting closer to my grave.

I remember yesterday today,

and have always felt anxious about today yesterday.

My childhood experience was in yesterday,

my youth is in today,

and my old-age will be in tomorrow.

When today is gone,

all these will be dumped in the dust bin of time.

I sympathize for my soul,

a time when the bell will toll,

and will be left alone through the mile,

my friends and my foes,

my pride and my humility,

will no longer be when the day is gone.

When the day is gone,

and darkness spreads across the sky,

I shall pick my bags and fly-

homewards to all tasks left undone

OSAN (ORANGE)

Glaring tempting eyes,
Soothing ravishing smile.
Thirst bud quencher; tongue’s soothing stimulator,
Do drop and embrace the earth’s call.

Orombo; incomparable among fruits.
That’s what mother called you.
Oyinladun Osan; Orange tastes like honey.
That’s how the street hawkers sing your praise.
Omi aladun; sweet flowing water
Awelewa to fi ori igi se le;
A beauty that made the tree her home.
Do drop and quench this thirst.

Awo loju ma peyin da;
You who men look in the eye and never turn back.
Children stare eager to climb-
And reach for your affection.
Big round bursting ball,
I can fell a tree to have you.
Oh! Do drop to extinguish this desire.

Aso l’oko ma binu;
Never gets angry when pelted with stones.
Restlessness you brought to the tree,
You made the humming bees your guard-
And allow the birds suck you to ugliness,
Is it, so we can’t have a thirst of you?

How can beauty bring you pains?
Awelewa, a sun Kun se eje loju,
Your tears bring forth blood.
Kindness brings you curse.
Do drop to stop the children-
From pelting you with stones.

The tree trembled-
From the hands of the passing wind.
Floating drops of leaves on our faces-
Still you stood staring down at us.
Ma wo loju pose; Never hiss when you look at her,
Or your belly might turn sour.
Our foots are weary-
We lift not this basket of disappointment.

WHEN I LOVE

When I love,
My soul merges with yours.
Always eager to have you next to me;
Sitting and staring together at the rumbling sea.

When I love,
For you my heart will always be,
Eager to feel your touch-
And the sweet smell your air brings.
Since we've vowed to wrap ourselves-
In this warmth blanket of love.
Together our heart shall wander on love's pilgrim.

When I love,
I am proud to be the man I'll always be,
Holding you close and given you love's dose.
Through the stormy weather,
And in the scorching sun I shall be your guard,
No amount of pain shall drive me sane!

When I love,
I drop infatuation in the sea,
And kneel begging for your plea-
To accept this token of love I've got to give.
I am a captive in this battle of love,
Please do set me free!

When I love,
I will hold you dear,
And never mind the harmful spear,
You entrust into my palpitating heart.