SUBTLE

She began speeding down the road
A million miles per hour
Blindfolded
A smile pasted on her face
Oblivious she was headed in the wrong direction.

Just imagine her short-lived disdain when the obstacle suddenly cut short her fairy tale ride and the last sound she ever heard was her cry…

She had her hands on the controls
Everything seemed right
So she figured,
She could afford to shut her eyes and enjoy the ride.
A ride, everyone had stamped as alright
Besides everybody was doing it now
…so why contrive?
What worked for them should definitely work in my different way for me
So freeway or highway she was definitely bound to end up this way anyway.

You can imagine the way that smile immediately turned upside down

No! literally it turned upside down
Because her head on collision with deception and betrayal
Hurt and disappointment
Crashed into the ill placed curb of destruction
Carefully camouflaged by a black and white track called lust
Which was so strong that she tumbled over and over again
Until she hit the ground hard enough to shake of thoughts of survival
Simply because she refused to read the red tall sign that cautioned quietly; STOP

So there she lay, on a bloodied road named Guilt
Dying a death another already did
Trying to pay for a life already paid for
She was what you may call Lost…

If she however would only open her eyes
Unlike Judas she may not fail so woefully at the sight of a possibility: A NEW LIFE
How she doesn’t have to hang from a rope
Because He already hung from a tree…
Endured a Calvary of sorrows
In exchange for her joy
You see, she will no longer be Lost
…or even worse condemned.
 
Because…
Where the sting of death ended was far from where the mark of Christ started
In fact it was non negotiable!
When Him who is Life held the keys to her eternal hell
He chose to set her free.

She must realize…
That like a corpse laid dead for four days
A word spoken from the very lips of creation was able to re-jerk a pulse so cold and far spent
Regenerate a heart so used and wasted
Turn a pot of clay into a vessel of Gold…        
She must choose to realize
That she has only arrived at the CROSSroads
…where Grace and mercy meet.

But first she must open her eyes…

CONTRITE

contrite

This has to be how Adam felt, after the fall.
Beaten, bruised, dirty and worn.
The feeling of guilt clasped tightly at my neck
The feeling of shame keeping me paralysed on my bed
I can’t even bring myself to pray
What have I done
Again and again I nail Jesus to the cross
His death and resurrection seeming like a loss
The weight of sin bearing down hard on me
So so heavy I fall down
Down on my knees

Give me a second chance, I know I’ll do right
Even though i must have said this like a million times
But what else can I do but run back to Him.
Elohim, Elshaddai, the creator of my skin.
Please listen to my cry, I have nowhere to  hide.
As I find repentance, don’t dash me aside.
I am beaten, I am broken I have no where to go.
Than back to you my God
Please don’t leave me in the cold.

I AM CHRIST

I saw Christ sometime ago in England
Man was on a well cut designers suit
His cuff links and kerchief suits
The accentuation of the rich fabric soothes
He was slick and sharp looking
Shoes glittered like tiny stars in the heavenlies
A perfect match for his suave manners.

I saw Christ some time ago in Detroit
He was on denim jeans and a large polo
His shoes brought hallelujah to my lips
Casual sneakers with canvas toes cap
With sequin detail and metal stud trim
His watch of course was blings blinking
Perfect for a street preacher

I saw Christ sometime ago in Nigeria
He was on blemish free agbada
Distinctively wide shouldered gown
Flowing in dignity
With each raise of the hand comes style
His cap pointed at the apex with base V-shaped
Perfect for incarnating the spirit into folk’s lives

I met Christ sometime ago in Congo
He was hungry and tired
His stomach was the size of a pregnant lass
His neck was the size of the giraffe’s
Although black his skin was transparent
His large eyes sunken and moist
His hair curly from unkemptness

I am Christ
I wouldn’t join my body with a slut
‘cause that’s breath-choking illegal
I wouldn’t be caught wearing pieces and strands
‘cause that’s heart-wrecking erroneous
Fallacies will be far away from my lips
Swear words, coarse and dirty jokes alike
‘cause my words are life and double edged
I wouldn’t be caught nodding on Drake’s beats
Nor twisting to Beyounce’s tunes
My playlist would have nothing to do with Trey songs
‘cause I live only to glorify God and impact positively.

I am Christ
I live with that consciousness
So I eat like Christ would , silently
I speak like Christ would, deeply
I act like Christ would, graciously
I smile like Christ would, amazingly
I dance like Christ would, stylishly
I preach like Christ would, radically
I love like Christ would, unconditionally
I share in Christ’s suffering , steadfastly

-Nnagbo Chidimma

MY JESUS


Jesus

Art by Akiane Kramarik

Trying to describe my Jesus is like an attempt to go bonkers
Cos no bunker could ever hope to contain Him
His glory is ever lasting, totally outstanding
You can’t wish to keep Him in a box
He’s a beast
I mean a Lion
I mean a Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb
A description so contradictory and yet so
accurate
For in Him is Love and Mercy
Where I live, move and have my being
Full of a fiery passion as He chased out the
merchants from me
With immense confidence as He commanded the
storm to cease.

My Jesus is big! Even I can’t quantify Him
Is it His goodness or protection? No one can
defy Him
Just make an attempt and try Him
Don’t put Him to test though, the devil couldn’t
fail Him
Let me tell you something about my Jesus then
The Lion
The Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb
The lover and the fighter
The beast and the tamer
The Judge and the advocate
My very own big brother
Not just watching through lenses
He sees my heart and can finish all my
sentences

He is Jesus
The Lion and the Lamb
The mighty man in battle, His alias
same as prince of peace, Son of God, the
Messiah
The word spoken in days of old
The material form of the spoken word
The justification of all of mankinds existence
My Lord and Saviour
He personally died for me
And of course you too can make this claim
You just gotta believe
I mean really believe
Put your heart, mind body and soul into it
Accept Him so that finally,
Your Spirit will live

Onubogu Somtochukwu

STRANGER

Sometimes it’s so much easier to talk to a total stranger.
To tell someone you’ve never known,
Someone who has never known you or the things you may be going through…
It’s easier to tell your sad, compromised and totally one sided story to someone who has no clue about the real you.
Then again why do you always get surprised,
When the stranger gives you the exact advice you gave yourself?
Funny enough the stranger has only one point of view when it comes to your issue…. Yours!

A stranger will tell you exactly what you heard within you, A mirror of your own SELF.
A prism that bounces back the sharp light of deception that got you into this conversation in the first place.
And the one who cares is watching over you,
Praying that sooner or later you realize that you are sitting in front of a stranger.

He will condemn every one who put you in the misery of contemplating a change for the better,
Sear your conscience to all rebukes and reprimands that left you teary eyed
And tear you away from the warm embrace of correction into his arms of cold and empty…Comfort.

A father chastises the ones he loves, but you’d rather be a bastard than a son,
Because the level of reprimand didn’t equal what you had done,
Trading your birthright for a plate of steaming hot lies that constantly advice you to give this so called “unconditional Love” a think through,
But if only you knew it was a stranger you are talking to.

If you really know that destruction is the end of a path that seemeth right to a man, Then take the costly treasures of correction and move on, Not minding how many tears and falls it took to mould you, The potters perfectionist bid to shape you,
So remain low and endure the process,
The result is always golden and the end product priceless.

– Abokhai Osione

The Queen

It’s past 3am in the morning
Coffee’s mouldy
Food is cold
His queen sits on the couch waiting.
Worried sick all morning.
Her knight in shining armour is yet to return.
Where could he be?
What could he be doing?
This time of the night or is it day.
The thoughts in her mind refusing to stay at bay.
Her train of thought is broken just like the silence.
She hears keys jangling somewhere in the darkness.
Relief and anger, joy and bitterness; flood her all at once, in that very instant.
She stands to her feet, prepared for his entrance.
He walks through the door, face riddled with exhaustion.
She begins to question, with fear in her voice
“Where have you been?!”, her voice all torn up.
He stands all the while staring, waiting for her to stop, the shudder in his chest with every word that dropped.
She stops to swallow and he sees his chance.
He pulls her close and hugs her tight.
He closes his eyes and hugs her tighter, the thoughts on his mind brought so much laughter.
The walk down the aisle.
The courtship that lasted for more than a while.
The oath of chastity they both took.
The moment he tapped her shoulder, and she turned to look.
The prayer he made before he could ask her.
The thanksgiving he gave when he finally married her.
And he also remembers…
The sigh of relief as he left that hotel.
The memories of last night he didn’t want to tell.
The wrong group of friends.
The wrong boys and girls.
The wrong kind of drinks.
The clock seemed to not tick.
Next thing he knew, he was with a strange woman.
About to maybe fornicate, sin that very moment.
But he called to remembrance…
In a microsecond, he saw the sacrifice of Jesus.
Cos he saw the wine and it cut like a knife.
“What am I doing?!” as he staggered to the door.
He ran out the door and next to his car
He thought of his ribs and remembered one more.
The love of his life, his one and only wife.
“I thank you O God for saving my life?”.
He ran to his house and opened the door.
His queen in sight, all teary and hurt.
He held her so tight and wouldn’t let her go.
He had touched the fire and was able to go.
His queen looked at him with love in her eyes.
She asked him again, “what happened last night?”.
He held her and smiled.
“God saved me last night”.
He wiped the tear in eyes and told her the truth.
She listened and heard and knew it was true.
He begged her forgiveness,”I wouldn’t do it again”.
But it was too late, her mind was made up.
Whatever he had done, she had already forgiven.
When he unlocked the door and confessed his dealings.

Just like my Jesus did.
He was willing to listen
As I begged on my knees, to cleanse me of all my sinning.

-Onubogu Somto

MISFIT

MISFITDing! Dong!

The alarm clock will go blaring!

Ding! Dong!

It’s sunday morning

He, on his bed, would wake up cold and tired

He knows he should go to church today

So he’ll move on to go bathing, hurrying to be in the house of the master, but he,

Would first of all, let his true master bathe him.

Masturbating, becomes the new boss.

 

And right there in the bathroom, he knows he’s in bondage

This right here, is not right

His wrongs are always before him, his conscience pricking.

He knows the matters of his heart, his own issues of blood.

Oh, if only I can touch the helm of his garment

He always knew the Tsidkeneu could make him new.

But like the woman with the haemorrhaging issue

He would shy away, after all, he’s seen the judgment in the silent cues.

 

He who has been so many times demoralized by the judging stares in the eyes of the brethren in church,

the judgment seats in their eyes, he even tried to reach their peaks and satisfy their quality list

And solely for their approval, he would sell his personality.

But it was never going to be enough, he would never fit.

In their eyes, heaven will never accept him

And no matter how many times he made it to the front pew, his history will never change. His soul could never be saved, or so they say.

Because in their eyes, He will forever remain a misfit.

 

After thinking about these things,

he would bounce back into bed, pull the covers even tighter on himself and stroll back into the cold unflinching arms of Sleepy Slumber.

“I’ll try again next sunday”, he says.

 

I’m talking about Him. and him. and him. And her and the other her.

And many others who have been bruised and sent away from the foot of the cross, because we refuse to scoot over for the knees of a “misfit.”

 

A misfit.

A misfit? Are you kidding me?

Since when did the body of Christ become a pack of dominoes

Did not the Master say go ye and have dominion?

Did not Christ command, to go ye after the sinners?

To explore, Excel, and see

If His excellency would not add to the church in abundance

With all goodness and mercies?

Who then gave us the audacity to prophesy over God’s child, what He has not sanctioned?

To look at God’s image and likeness and decide his fate

That is like a blinding slap to the creator’s face.

Where then, is the place of abundant grace?

 

We’ve used our tongues and our eyes.

We proclaim judgment over these ones with our minds.

 

Since when did the outer look of a book determine the content of its riches?

Is not the work of the Holy Spirit inside out?

Or was it outside in?

So why do we judge our brothers so?

 

Or did not the Bible clearly theorize in Matthew 5:20

Ye shall never enter the kingdom unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees

Even blind Brother Phary, sees clearly the point I with this simple poem humbly preach.

What is wrong with the church of today?

 

Hmmm… Wait. Hold on. Hold up. Wait a minute

This poem ain’t speaking against correction.

It only seeks to unseat the lie we’ve represented the body of Christ to be, for even the church was never supposed to be a perfect fit.

 

So why do we wanna behave like her.

 

Not this her. I mean the other her. Why do we imitate her?

She who looks as beautiful as the sun, speaks with the voice of a fairy, moves like an angel of light

She who smiles with the grace of Athena, the beauty of Aphrodites, but with the serpent infested head of Medusa.

Why do we imitate her who lures kings to her bed, patting their backs, singing their praises, preparing for their necks a stabbing knife.

Why do we imitate Lucifer’s own girlfriend?

She who my Pastor loves to call the world system.

Me? I prefer her native name: Babylon.

And just like Robert Kelly,

we’ve been messing with the …Same girl… same girl…

 

Or Have you not read it in your Bible?

That we and this world are never going to be a match made in heaven?

That no dating site or psychologist could ever fix this.

That we’re like two sides of a coin. Gotta be heads or tails, baby.

Two parallel lines never to collate

It is so plain.

 

If Jesus Himself had said that the world will always hate you

Shouldnt you be wary when all of a sudden she wanna date you?

So long as we follow Jesus, this world will always hate.

And the day the world is comfortable with you around

You should ask yourself: Am I still saved?

 

So when the world rejects the sinner, would you join in the game and judge him back to the world?

Sad. So sad!

If we’re so perfect, why are we not different from the do-good atheist, whose only reason for subscribing to songs about sex and the worship of money is: “It’s got a nice beat, and the lyrics doesn’t really matter…”

What a lie!

 

Remember that when Jesus came the first time, it was religious people that put Him on the cross.

Because he would not fit into our church programmes? Or He would not look like we expect him to?

 

sad.

 

And for those of you – my fellow misfits – who have been judged by the ones

To whom the master had said to feed my sheep.

Listen to me. I have a message for you from His Eminence.

As long as you come to me, there is hope for ya.

And as long as they keep judging you, stand strong.

He says come. feed. then see… that I am God.

Your confidence. See, my love washes you squeaky

Sounds difficult, I know

But actually, it’s like Easy-Peasy Japanesie.

However, there is one thing my church usually keeps out of the message of my word.

Your past Pastors, your lead Leaders, your Generals generally have taught you that you can come to me the way you are. It’s true.

That’s grace.

But you see, like two edged sword, grace is incomplete without truth.

Truth. Responsibility. Respond. Sensibly. To this truth.

You can come to me the way you are – my arms are wide open – but I forbid you to remain that way for longer.

Confess your sins. Faithful and Just to forgive is my name.

But no, do not stop there. Take responsibility for your actions.

Then go and sin no more.

 

I urge.

That we quit the blaming and the condemning.

And press on towards the mark. The heavenly glory. For you have never arrived, until you walk down the streets of gold.

You’re never perfect until you drink from the banquet table of perfection.

And You can only know you’re the best when you’re the only gunslinger cowboy still standing after all the dust settles.

Boom!!!

– ‘Nonso John & Ezeonyeka Godswill

FISH HEADED

Lashes blinking like there’s hurricane in Hawaii
Hair flying like its an eagles carnival
Nails long enough to perform a surgical operation
The artistic skill we use in drawing that brow
Leaves me wondering why all girls are not artists
Artistically sketching Christ into people’s lives
Barbies and little mermaids
Little wonder you are so fish headed

Structured to be listeners
An enormous need to be appreciated
Your emotional cup runneth over
Just like your biological clock ticking over
With the functionality of listening
Sweet nonsense always whispered into our ears
By default we become gullible
Gulping down indigestible materials
Choking on undiluted rhymes
At tick tock, we hiccup

Your IQ don’t matter
Your carriage don’t matter
Status and position don’t matter
Experiences makes you sober not learned
Seclusion don’t change nothing
You are gullible
You gulp like you are on a golf ride
The game of golf has an obvious hole
Your hole, only Christ can fill
Not the balls, not the boys

But! Thank God for Jesus
He decided to switch your ashes for glory
So your fish heads turned brainy
He proposed to you
On a bill cross for all to see
With tears and blood ticking down
Who can beat such a proposal
Your gullibility turning into obedience to God’s word
Your attentiveness giving you an edge to rightly divide God’s word
The Holy Spirit giving you an edge on how to test spirits
The measurement of integrity is the Christ in a person
Staying tuned you can now tell boys with ulterior motive
You can never get heart broken no more
Cause your heart is in God’s custody
We’ve become Goddesses
In full power and authority
Now we are complete, smart and invincible.
Any girl that’s not in Christ is fish headed

– Nnagbo Chidimma