memotiver-blog

[memotiver-blog]

Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”

Shel Silverstein

[memotiver-blog]

IRENE

Mine was a place in the shadows Rarely seen, barely heard Stuck in a valley of sorrows I was Maya’s Caged Bird I deeply yearned for the lost tomorrows But then the writings on my future were blurred …And then he showed up with his beard With an offer I found absolutely absurd I thought I had misheard What he inferred But he was undeterred And like a princess I was chauffeured …And so I fell… Not in love, but into a deep burrow I knew it…I could tell That I was hung by concealed gallows Two, to the music of a funeral bell, celebrated our union And with a seed in my womb, we exchanged our vows. I felt the noose getting tighter. It was an unholy communion And mother dearest, she was disgusted that to him I was espoused…   Because, you see, He was three decades old. …And I was fifteen.

[memotiver-blog]

Scorpions - Wind Of Change

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[memotiver-blog]

Forget about the pain. Forget about the fear... Remember the lesson.

In The Blood

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It’s 5 minutes to 8.

I’m staring out through the glass door at the little group of people that have already gathered in front of the doors, waiting for us to open.

With all the rain and flooding these days, one would think that the banking hall would be empty…

  …. But nope! Clock hits 8.

The clients rush in like they’re late.

I haven’t even had the chance to sip my coffee, mate!

Mr. Pompous heads to me with “hello, what’s the rate?”

“It has fallen sir; it is 10.8.”

He puffs his chest out, stands up straight…

“I’m moving my money to another fund; he declares...It cannot wait.”

I roll my eyes inwardly… “to purchase shares, it’s actually the best date.”

  Ah well… sips coffee

  Mrs. Weepy sits down.

She’s got lovely eyes- caramel brown.

“I can’t believe I got married to that clown!”

“We have a joint account and he has spent OUR money on that slut down town!”

“Can you believe I paid for our entire wedding and my wedding gown?”

“I don’t mean to mix you in Miss. Banker, but close the account. He let me down.”

  Oh boy… sips coffee

  Mr. Flirty saunters in.

He winks at me and slowly strokes his chin.

He sizes me up, his eyes full of sin.

He’s about to start the long process of opening an account to my chagrin.

I work quickly…set up the account and pass him his pin.

He thanks me…and as he leaves, he passes me his card with a sheepish grin.

  Ugh… sips coffee

  In storms Mr. Soldier.

Hand on his holster.

He shouts; “You people are getting bolder!”

He’s fuming…the air-condition suddenly feels colder.

“I’ve called many times…you people have lost my folder!”

“If talking isn’t helping, you must experience aggressive force exposure!”

  Damn…. Sips… lol scratch that… coffee’s gone cold.

  Miss. Confused walks in timidly.

“Could you tell me what goes on here? Please put it simply.”

I start to explain but she interrupts with questions that begin..and end at infinity.

Her lack of understanding makes her nervous and then she starts to get giggly.

I don’t want to lose it; but…. “Please take your time, stop interrupting and listen to me.”

  Phrrr….

  In walks a psychiatric patient.

His face is drawn in and he is tall and gaunt.

He must have been able to pass the guards when his condition was latent.

It is hard to miss the smell though; it is so blatant!

He begins to shout and threaten…lol! C’est très intéressant!

But me, I’m scared. Off I run before he pulls a stunt!

  Shivers

  In summary I meet different characters on a daily basis.

Some make me happy and some make me mad. Gotta face it.

Some may look down on me, and others make me feel like I’m famous.

A number of them are gracious and quite a few, I find rather audacious.

They teach me daily how to exercise restraint and patience..

…And I do consider them my personal “experience oasis”.

Because, truth be told, these are the very characters I will meet on my way to greatness…

  Lunch Time

[memotiver-blog]

How The Trees Whisper: Part One

I lie in bed with my eyes closed; but I can feel the darkness of the room. It is quite early in the morning, I can tell; and my stomach rumbles… but I do not have the energy or willpower to walk into the kitchen. The only sound I can hear for a while is the fan whirring away, trying its best to reduce the heat in the room.

  I turn to my side, still with my eyes closed and start to think about my plans for the future. I am filled with a lot of hope and a certain kind of joy that confuses me a little. My thoughts are suddenly interrupted by sounds of laughter from the street in front of my flat. A group of men chatter excitedly for about ten seconds and then go completely silent. Partygoers coming back home I suppose….or maybe they’re ghosts! I open my eyes and check the time from my phone…3:48 it blinks at me. *sigh*

  I toy with the idea of ghosts in my head for a little while and then lie on my back in an attempt to sleep again. I am overcome by a coughing fit and tears stream down my face as I struggle to breathe.  I sit up and try to remember the events of the night before and finally relax, knowing that I took my medication.

  Last night was something else. I had made a decision I knew was quite rash and it both scared and excited me. I lie back down and I am filled with a fear of faltering that makes me not want to try it at all just to fail; but the excitement of the plans that may fall through finalizes the decision. My overambitious parents are, of course fine with this…and any other plan that will shine a bright light on their sham of a marriage. Everybody knows it. They got married to each other as an investment. My mother, the only daughter and heir to a countrywide group of companies and my father, the grandson of an oil tycoon decided to merge their wealth to build an empire. Ha! That did not go too well; and as the years went by, together, they mismanaged their companies and deceived people until all their money dwindled down to just enough to “keep up appearances”. I remember quite vividly, how every year, during the summer holidays, they would fly me out to Kumasi and then go round telling their friends that I was in London, or Paris or California on holiday. Aah, those days…I would return to find that my mother had purchased all sorts of  “faux” and packaged them nicely to hand out to people as “gifts” from abroad. I always had to keep up with it all by reading books and watching videos and documentaries about my supposed holiday destination, just so I could come back and brag about it. It was very tiring. Amidst all the deceit, they managed to find some sort of “love” and have been married for 30 years. Last night my mother was bursting with joy as she hugged me and exclaimed; “This is the BEST decision I feel you have EVER made!” “I’m so proud of you, Pokua!” She had squealed.

  I open my eyes again as a pang of pain hits my chest. It is not from the flu this time. It is from the memory of the look on his face as I broke the news to him. He had looked me straight in the eyes and asked me if I was sure that this was what I wanted to do…if I wanted to follow my parents down this road. I could see the hurt in his eyes as the corners of his mouth turned downwards. His beautiful brown eyes. I will miss them.

Osei has been my best friend since high school and he is the one person I can be myself with. He knew all about my parents’ façade and even sometimes secretly visited me in Kumasi when I was on “holiday”. He knew all about my unmentionable escapades and heartbreaks throughout high school and university; and he was always there to lend a hand or a supportive shoulder.

  We first met in our second year of high school. I was a newcomer. Everyone had already made his or her friends from the previous year and I felt quite out of place. I had sat down in class and looked around at the groups of people chattering away, laughing and throwing curious glances at me. It was a very lonely moment, until Osei banged his books on my desk and said; “You’re sitting at my desk; but I will let you have it because you’re pretty.” He had sat down next to me and we instantly hit it off. I had developed a name for him over time…Peanuts; because his ears are very tiny.

  My phone lights up from a message received. I squint against the sudden bright light and see it is a text from Osei. “You don’t need to do this Pokua. Can we talk tomorrow?” I frown and ignore the text message. It begins to annoy me that my best friend of all people cannot support my decision and encourage me! I turn the phone off and finally fall asleep.

  To be continued…

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I would enter your sleep if I could, and guard you there, and slay the thing that hounds you, as I would if it had the courage to face me in fair daylight. But I cannot come in unless you dream of me.

Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn

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You are the laughter that rises up at night among a group of friends

You are the cool, sweet sip of a slushy on a steamy day

You are the delightful scream of a toddler being tossed in the air

You are the warm, soft fur of a puppy nuzzling up to its master

You are the grateful smile of a mother whose child has been saved

You are the tears of joy that flows from the eyes of a wife of a soldier returned

You are a pat on the back for a job well done

You are the flutter of the wings of a bird freed

You are the feeble meow of a newborn kitten

You are the victory of a warrior in a movie I just watched

You are the standing ovation after a wonderful performance

You are the protective grasp of a father’s hands

You are a refreshing dip in the pool

You are the exhilarating smell of rain hitting earth

You are the feeling I get when a baby grabs my finger

You are the reason I laugh for no reason

You are THE feeling of happy.

…….You are MY feeling of happy.

[memotiver-blog]

There’s a little box sitting in my hand

A little box of promises

A little box of memories to be had

And a box of compromise

It’s a beautiful box, that one

With its beautiful contents customized

A box every girl has dreamt of since the break of sun

A box about which I have caught myself fantasize

But I do not want this box.

I had it shoved into my hand.

“Think about it.” He'd begged.

But I had already made my stand…

He isn’t the one I want in the end

Not the one I want to be tied to with this band.

Although I know he is probably better

The thought scratches against my brain like an uncomfortable sweater

“What is it you really want My Love?”

“I’ll do anything if it will make you accept”

I shake my head and distance myself with a shove

It only sounds to me like the million promises they never kept…

[memotiver-blog]

Daniela by Elmer Food Beat. ^_^

Merci beaucoup! Lol!

[memotiver-blog]

The Script ft Will.I.Am-Hall Of Fame

"You can throw your hands up

You can beat the clock

You can move a mountain

You can break rocks

You can be a master

Don't wait for luck

Dedicate yourself and you gon' find yourself"

[memotiver-blog]

Santigold-My Superman

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Wine and dine her

She’s digging your melodies

Flatter and humour her

Take her back to the sixties

She’s not the only one. She knows.

She is well aware of your abilities

But go on, compliment her clothes

And boast about your ‘amenities’

She’s gotten used to the pros

And these are your specialties

Go on, hand her a red rose

And talk about love and its fallacies

Go on, grant her quick repose

And give her all the remedies

Because after all this, granted, you will expose

Your true intentions...and then you shall be enemies.

[memotiver-blog]

I’m a nice guy. I'm not saying it in the sense that I’m some hot, sexy, irresistible hunk (Although I'm not bad looking, if I do say so myself). I am nice in the sense that I am what people would consider a gentleman. I open doors, pay compliments, say my pleases and thank yous… and I listen.

  I do not like the ordinary. I enjoy discussing complicated mathematical sequences and I listen to music that many guys my age wouldn’t be caught listening to…if they even knew about them.  I can be a flirt…but I am working on that. It is not always a bad thing, is it?

  Anyway, you can call me Baba.

  Why am I here talking about myself? Well, I consider myself quite likeable and dateable; however, I always manage to self-destruct…. or the universe decides to turn against me when it comes to dating women.  I am finding it very difficult to understand.

  I have had a few dates in my lifetime; but I have not yet had the moment where I sit back and say; “Damn, Baba you killed it!”. Killing it…. man… unless we’re talking about the mood, then yes, I always manage to find a way to kill it … and make sure it does not resurrect.

  I asked this girl out once for a date. Nothing serious… well, because I do not like the pressures of formal dates… so we went to this pizza place nearby…. and in trying to sound intelligent, I ended up triggering a yawning fest. No… No… she was not being rude… she is actually a nice girl…brunette and pretty eyes and a very sexy name… I just didn’t realise that calculus was not a very good topic to discuss on a first date until it was too late… and too awkward… * sigh *

  So that ended fairly quickly and I beat myself up over it for days, knowing she would never agree to a second date after what I put her though…. But luck was on my side a few weeks later! Valentine’s day was quickly approaching and I managed to get her to agree to be my date! Sweeeetttttttt!!!

  I was determined not to let it flop this time. I went on YouTube and watched all the necessary dating videos. I reminded myself to ask her questions about herself and not let her into my “dreary” interests just yet. I planned dinner and practiced what I was going to say. It was going to be perfect!

  Valentine’s day came…

…And went.

  ……And I had flopped this date too. No one told me I could not have romantic, private valentine dinners in a shared kitchen in a hostel!! We started our dinner and I was just about gearing up to spit my game, when the rest of my flat mates came in and assumed it was a flat party. I did not have the heart to tell them otherwise and risk looking like a jerk… So I sat there sullenly, my romantic words stuck in my head; and hopes of a kiss quickly dissipating. I spent the rest of the night hugging my pillow till I fell asleep.

You see why I say the universe is working against me?  What am I really getting wrong?

  I am not even going to consider a third try… as if she would even grant me that chance. I will end up getting excited about my “perfect” plans, only to realise it probably wasn’t very smart at the end of the night…

  Dammit.

[memotiver-blog]

I remember the first time we met. Right by your car... It was quite funny... I remember I had made you wait outside for a good amount of time because I had accidentally chopped off a chunk of my hair and I was trying to cover it up. (I don't know why I keep doing that to myself. Smh)... I finally came out and I could tell you were extremely shy but fighting to cover it up. Lol! I got into the car and made a comment about strangers and kidnappers and such; and you laughed... because, really we weren't strangers, and we had already had our banter about what kind of criminal you may have been. The ride wasn't as awkward as I had feared it would be. In fact, it was not awkward at all, thankfully.

Anyway, it was a lovely evening. I enjoy having long chats with new people, because I get to learn so much...and learn about you, I did. In fact, I was inspired by you to make some healthy decisions, which I plan to stick with for a long time to come. We have been friends since then (why am I saying it like it has been years? Haha)... and though it has been a short time, I can tell that you are a kindhearted person.

Naturally, external factors do have an unplanned and unexpected impact on relationships between people...what we see, what we read, what we hear, what we say and what we feel; and they sometimes cause complications in our lives...but why allow these external factors to cause chaos and discomfort when we can have a simple carefree friendship, no strings attached, no games played and no expectations to be had. No twists and turns. No complications. I should be able to tease you about a girl sending you nudes for no reason and you should be able to laugh at the fact that I am irritated by someone who has made it his life's mission to pursue me. We should be able to just chill without fear that someone is going to make a move... because really, what's there to gain if we throw a quality friendship away because of some emotions which are not guaranteed to last? Let's not talk about friend zones, because that is something that people use to degrade and devalue friendships between people of the opposite sex. It is neither a crime nor something to be laughed at. In fact, it is very special... and something I have begun to cherish more than romantic relationships. Is it not possible to have a genuine platonic relationship with someone else? No anchors, no arrows, no ties, no mess, no confusion, no disappointments? Just a simple, happy, loving friendship. Is it not possible? 

[memotiver-blog]

Façade & Illusion

            Pretty face makes your heart flare

Façade & Illusion

             Promises made with an unwavering stare

Façade & Illusion

            I want to grow with you I swear

Façade & Illusion

           For you I’ll always be there

Façade & Illusion

            Forgetting what it takes to bear

Façade & Illusion

            Unfair disrepair

Façade & Illusion

            Love! Love! O declare

Façade & Illusion

            But was it strong enough to handle her

Façade & Illusion

            You must be aware

Façade & Illusion

            That before you forswear

Façade & Illusion

            It could all be, my dear

A Façade & Illusion.