My Child:  This is My Prayer

My child
I pray that you'll learn
As you grow daily
Moment by moment.
As I try to teach you
What I have been taught,
As I tell you the words my father said to me back then,
About our ancestors and their vision
As I sing these songs of hope and tell you old, but familiar stories
About courage, wisdom, joy, sadness, sorrow, and laughter
As I try in my own ways to open your heart and eyes
To behold and embrace what is true and kind,
what is sad and joyful,
As I let you on into the toughness of life and the beauty there is.
I pray, my child
that you will never walk alone
that you will always find hope and courage to stand tall and proud
that you will never be afraid to reach out to others
and share the richness of your heart
and the hope you have been given

My Child:  Hold My Hands

My child
I am growing old
My days are few and draw to a close
So hold my hands
And don't be afraid
Our days here
were meant to be few
Though we want them to be long
This earth... I'm told
Is a market....
only a passage
to a better place
a destination that few long for
a place of no return
not where you die...
but where real living begins
This is where I must go
soon...
my child
And someday
you will join me
But meanwhile...
a lot needs to be done
and my strength is far gone
like my days too.
So hold my hands, my child
and let not your heart be sad
listen to my words...
take heed to the wisdom
the years have graced me with
hold on to the courage
and the hope
God offers at the dawning of each new day

copyright 1998 Oluyomi Ogunnaike

O God, My Father.

O God, my Father
many are my thoughts
several are my needs
deep is my confusion
heavy is my guilt

But I come to YOU
in the calmness and gentleness
of YOUR Person
in the sturdiness
of YOUR Hold
and commitment
to me...

That YOU will
please
hold me...
That YOU will
please
brood over me
with great tenderness
and look upon me
with compassion.

- yomi (96/97)

Hold my hands, Dear Lord

Hold my hands
For I am apt to stray
and wander away
from the Love
that has kept and watched over me

Teach my heart, Abba
to follow YOU
in the dark..
in the light...
to hold on
even if I must cry
even if my life
is blinded with pain

You see the road ahead of me
the paths I must walk
are known to YOU
my times, I am told
are in YOUR Strong Hands
Hands which have never
lost a man(woman, too)

So please hold my hands,
I pray,
Strongly, Gently,
Truly, Firmly,
Draw my heart..
teach and woo it
as only YOU can
to follow YOU. only.
my Hope, Reward, and Redeemer.

- yomi

Your Eyes...

They look at me
so often
deeply...
fully
right into my soul
tearing all the cobwebs
and thick layers of numbness
gently... truly... sturdily.

Your eyes
so gentle
so kind
so loving...
arrest my attention...
stop me in my track
draw me close to
you..
irresistibly...
affectionately.

And in them… your eyes
I see myself anew
as never before...
loved,
cared for...
appreciated and
longed for
In your eyes
I am beautiful,
perfect..
ravishing..
rarest of all gems

In your eyes
I am
accepted... totally
I am safe...
I am home...

Through your eyes
I feel so much
warmth
my heart melts
and my arms reach
out to you
in soft embrace.

- yomi

Where do we go
from here..
here where we met
and promised
never to part...
here where we
first held hands
and took the risk
to be open
and be truly honest
about our fears.
our dreams..
deep feelings.....
intense!
yet soft and gentle.

The years have come
and gone since
that first day
And now
we meet
again
in our special "here"
And I have
so many questions..
so many fears..
and so much to tell you
But I wonder
if you are still
the same..
I wonder if the years
have taken their toll
on our hearts & dreams & emotions.

- yomi (97/98)

the days may be gray
and the sky dark..
yet my heart will long
for you
with a song in the night

- yomi (98)

I steal glances at you
Cos I cannot help myself
I feel so drawn to you..
yet so afraid to be blatant
about my admiration and long held
attraction and affection
for you...

The it happened!!!
what I was so afraid of
you caught my eyes..
and held them....
locked
in and with your gaze
I could feel the heat
of shame...
rising and rising.

- yomi (5/98).

If I could hold
you
just one more time
for just one second
And feel your breath
on my face
feel your strong arms
around me..
feel you
filling my whole being
with warmth and tenderness

- yomi (98)

There she stands again
With that lost forlorn look..
eyes.... so sad;
eyes.. full of unshed tears
eyes... that see beyond the ordinary
eyes.. that know pain and hurt

She used to come with her daughter to the park
and they would run, , laugh, chuckle, and play all day
whisper silly things in each other’s ears..
grin themselves silly silly!...

Word has it that social services
came for the girl
the father had lied about her
spread rumors in high places
that she was unstable...
with a history of horrid abuse.

Now she comes alone
to the park...
living has become a drudge, full of
tears.. sighs.. sadness.. grief
"why"..
she would ask
"why did he take her away from me"
"will you help me"
"does anyone understand"
"I need my girl.... her laughter
brings joy to my life"
"how can I live without Samara"
"Pls.....won’t someon help me".

Yomi (98)

Hosea & Gomer.

Its been one of those days.. again
days I have come to know so well
days that I have grown to dread
now...
because of you
because of all that you do
because of how you treat me.....
ways in which you show me
that you are committed to me
no matter what
because your GOD (the ONE Whose name cannot be pronounced)
will have it that way. no other way.

Its the story of my life
everyone knows it
everyone has given up on me
I am on every lips
men "lust" after me
women can’t wait to "hound" me
Yet you fight for me...
you pick up the "loose" pieces of my life
and bring me home again.. to you.

Why do you keep
coming after me
time after time?
Why.. when I run from you
in defiance of your "God"
And "do" what I know to do
You search for me
and woo me back to you?
What kind of man are you?
where do you come from?
Why do I matter to you?
to your GOD??

How you tried to explain to me
that I matter
that you see what others do not care to see
that there is more to me than "night shots"
I thought you were a fool
to love me
you had to be out of your mind
to care so much.
But i was so wrong...
so far from the truth.

But now I see
why you would not relent
why..
you would come after me.. again and again
why
you would not hesitate to lay down all
for me
why
you still hold me.. tenderly
comforting me as only you can
why
your eyes still look into mine.. gently
as if to say "we are in this together"
"nothing can separate us".

Yomi (8/98)

At Times Like These!!!!
There are times
That words
Cannot simply express
The depth of emotions
Felt by another
As a result
Of kind words and quiet gentleness
Unexpected kindness that touches one’s soul
Genuine affection , appreciation , & true care.
For all of these and much more
My heart truly thanks you.
With words.
Without words.
With prayers.
With best wishes & God’s blessings,
Praying that in all you do
Heaven will smile down on you
And fill each step of your way with light & hope.

E se mo dupe (I thank you)*
Na gode (Thank you)*
* - Nigerian Languages (Yoruba & hausa)

Dr. Ogunnaike
For Friends in  ECE 262 Wednesday Section (Fall, 1998)

Yomi
1/99

Child of MY Heart…
I see your struggle
I feel your pain
I appreciate your tenderness and sensitivity to My Spirit
And I say to you
REST in ME
LISTEN to ME
COME to ME
Allow My Spirit to heal your bruised heart
And nurture you again and again
With oil of grace and compassion
Let ME hold you close to MY Bosom
Child of MY Heart
Come away with ME
That you might find rest for your soul
And peace in ME.

Yomi
1/99

FOR MY FRIEND, WITH GRATITUDE

I pray that you will never stand alone
That all the good you have given will come back to you
In full measures, pressed down, shaken together and overflowing
That Heaven will hear your cries and save each tear of yours that fall
That GOD will renew your strength daily
And hold you close to HIS Bosom
That HIS Grace will be real to you
That HIS Presence will fill your heart with peace and hope
As you await the joy that comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5)

YOMI 12/98

It all seems like yesterday
when I carried you on my back
played a lot of silly games with you
We went to Oshodi market together
And "mommy's shop" for chocolates
We sang silly songs, told silly stories, had invisible friends everywhere.

And now you are all grown up
taller than everyone....
your voice sounds different
though your smile has stayed the same...
charming, kind, full of life and vigor

You are now a man, my nephew
a young one, with the world at your feet
there is so much to do, so much to learn
so much to discover, so much to let go
And as you embark on the journey of manhood
I pray for you
That you will never lack grace and compassion
that your heart will continue to be full of kindness
to share and to give
that you will never be afraid to cry
and offer hope in the face of gloom
that you will never be afraid to stand up for what is right
when "standing" comes with pain and loss
that you will never lose sight of who you are
and where you come from

I pray for you this day
that GOD's Hands will be mighty upon you
that HIS Spirit will direct your way in life
that you will be used by HIM
to bless others
and draw others to HIM
that your heart will never grow cold
or stray away from the truth
that has upheld you all these years.

MY NEPHEW: You are growing and going.

My nephew, you are growing
And as you grow, you will go places
places where others have not been
places others dare not go
places reserved for only a few
of which you are one

You are destined for great things, my nephew
Never settle for less
Never let your eyes stray from the goal
don't let the years and tears dim your vision
Go on in HIS Favor
Grow strong in HIS Grace

My nephew you are growing
And you must know that growth brings pain
Growth brings responsibilities,
challenges, tears, frustrations
But remember
that with growth
also comes new life, new joys,
new strengths, new discoveries
about life and GOD
So never stop growing, my nephew
Never stop opening your heart
to life and what it offers.

FINAL WORDS....
I have said so much
most of which sound strangely familiar
The essence of it all, my nephew
is this: Fear GOD, Love HIM,
and Trust that the journey is best walked
with the One, Who is the Way
That Life is best lived in HIM
Who is Life.
That Truth that sets free and lifts us beyond ourselves
Is only found in HIM
Who is Truth indeed.

Wa dagba
Wa darugbo!!!
Oluwa a se alatilehin fun e
Oju o si ni ti e.

Auntie Yoma.