Tag: prompt
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a stream of pure talent
people reproduce themselvesin their worksand sometimes,possessions mirror something in their owners haven’t you noticedhow so much musicis filled with messages to haters?what was supposed to be a streamof pure talentfor us to draw layers of meaningshas become colored with the hate, bitterness, violence that’s been stewing during the rise tell me creative works are outletsfor…
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inferior
a foot in its bellyhands feeling its tips and sidesthe tweaking foot pausesseems a fitlots and lots of hagglingand counting of what looked like crumpled sweat-softened notesfinally, off the shelf and into a polybaggoing through twists and turns blindfoldedthen into a new home, unto a new shelfnights and days pass bythen the familiar feet returntheir…
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They sit unsung
we’llneverknow the fearsand hurts you hideyour deeds, like diamonds,sit unsung in shadowsof ingratitude and prideyou forged underdogs into starswith sacrifices of love, Mother,we’ll never know the shed tears and hurts you hide
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strange times
It all started with village folktales. Of ghosts loitering in the silence of midnight, stalking a wandering stranger or a lone recalcitrant youth returning home late. As mother lowered the wick of the lantern, the darkness in the room loomed large. I shut my eyes tight, careful to not think about dark tales of the…
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a howling wasteland
tied to a treewas the kidnapped queenwincing at the mirage of advancing horsesmirage of a rescue teamdaunting reality of massive losses her chief magician chantshis voice echoing in the howling wastelanda figure in a picture enlarges into a real beinglike a fast-forwarded movieon rewind to a slow motion scene wearing her crown of planetsthe great…
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spill your feelings
have your loose lipsbegun lootingyour chances of success,turning potential into worst nightmares? does your intuitiontell you you’re contributingto your slow progressand growing distress? keeping a secret can be toughlike an irresistible coughfor some, keeping a small circlecan be a major hurdle but for your own goodalways confide in a bookfew people really careabout your welfare…
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Her name is Samira -part 2
Genuinely, I meant every promise I made. But fate was bent on testing every alphabet in my words. It all started with the withholding of my salary over some friction I had with the secretary. He made some deductions from my salary because I was absent without permission. I explained that I was too ill…
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For how long?
Today you have the power to squash someone underneath your toe. But the human spirit is unlike the body of an insect. It’s tough, refuses to die, keep coming, and will always strike back. Imagine the spirit of an entire nation. What is the sense in abusing power? No matter how powerful you are, how…
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Only believe
I’ve come to what seems like my endwhere patched hopes refuse to mendbarriers refuse to bendthe raging sea in my pathrefuses to part and all I hear in the midst of the rising tidesis a still small voice reminding meto only believe Holding onfeels like waiting for stones to ripenI do not know if I…
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Wandering in the woods
A quiet afternoon. Two lovers drift into woods nearby. Intermittent giggling echoes through trees as they run on, as if to escape the prying eyes of the sun searching through trees swaying in the late Friday afternoon winds. It looked dangerous from outside. Now that they were inside the jungle, they saw things differently. The…
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wake every beast
honed every skilltried every trickcombed every streetwoke every beastcrossed every seatossed every diceate every lielicked every woundpaid every duesplayed every tunedealt every cardtook every chanceknocked every doorfought every dogticked every box yet for all my effortsa harvest of winds but I keep pressing onunrelentingly https://wp.me/paf3ao-m3z
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The lone bird is done singing
The lone bird is done singing,and the migratory season is here.It has joined its clanto sail across the sky,to a new land. We cannot help but keep lookingwhere it once stood, singing.The lone bird is no more,only echoes of its voice. Like nicknamesof old high school friendsheld together in indelible inkagainst fading classroom walls,your name…
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Love ripens slowly
Love ripens slowlyBonds deepen softlyAnd I, with my impatienceHave ruined many opportunitiesLike some black sheepdressed in greenTo light up the screenFor all to see InexperienceAnd the lack of humility to learnTwo rodentsThat have ruined many beautiful beginnings https://wp.me/paf3ao-lZh
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Holidays
Whenever we were caught up with so much work in the office, we longed for public holidays. Then like rain on thirsty lands, we receive some update on a WhatsApp platform or online news website: some public holiday had been announced and was lurking behind the uninformed, waiting to see their surprised looks and giggles…
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Next step
The higher the heightThe deeper the discomfort of climbingThe next step is the reward of the previousThe longer the steps upwardsThe bigger the reward
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The Blast
It was a normal day just like anyWe were busy about our activities It was even the anniversary of a giant telecommunications network All over town people were in their colours, jubilant It was probably late afternoon Suddenly, there was a blastLouder than a bombOr anything that could be imaginedIt was the sun itself that…
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Deliverance
Woke up terribly sick. So weak I am unable to move or even scream. It was all so sudden. Went to bed feeling strong and well. How did all this begin? I tried to sit up, with great difficulty. Perhaps it was malaria. All over the room, I vomit, having no strength to go to…
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Tomorrow is a scam
Never put any piece of your life on hold. Tomorrow is a scam. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. And those two in the bush are yesterday and tomorrow. Right now in your hands is today, the present, in which you can do good, forgive, repent, adopt new habits and strategies…
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Conflicts
I used to find it hard to relate with people after a heated argument. I thought of them as people who should be isolated, their way of thinking was hard for me to accept and I believed the best way forward was to have nothing to do with them henceforth. It took some time for…
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The night before the excursion
The night before that excursion, Ghana played against Uruguay, a key match in the 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa. The Black Stars of Ghana had built up so much hope in the public and in many Africans. They were the only African team that had not being knocked out yet. There were even…
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Foggy hopes
Foggy hopesWhen you’re in a dire situationExpecting a miracleAnd you receive a messageTo send your detailsFor a money transferCould it be real?You wonderAnd imagine all the things you’ll doOnce that money lands in your lapYou dreamily draw a budgetDaydreaming even new clothes you’ll purchaseYou wait, like special forces on a missionFor the moment, the alertThat…
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My blogging journey
When I decided to start blogging, I was simply looking for a place to track my creative writing journey. I used to write on pieces of paper whenever I felt inspired to write a poem, story or idea down. These papers disappeared after a while thanks to carelessness. Even when I write in books, they…
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One family
It hurts doing good sometimesBut I always remember one thingThat we are all brothers and sistersAnd God is Our Father WinterABC2025 Storytelling Festival Email:Benjaminnambu1@gmail.com WhatsApp: +233 541 824 839
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Performer and Spectator
What does a game teach us? To not wait till we are down by many goalsAnd suddenly start playing with all our heartsA few seconds to end of game A game is won off pitchWhere there are no spectatorsNo applause, only sweat and silenceIt’s where plans are rehearsed, modifiedCodifiedA large room for mistakes and improvement…
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Celebration bells chime
Celebration bells chimeCrowdsIt’s the sound of a multitude’s feetRushing to a chapelCuriositySeemed impossibleLike strange news in strange landsAllergic to happening on home soilYet here it wasThe season when the impossible blossomsAwakening the sleeping faithOf many doubtful onesIt’s a weddingThe kind that gives hopeTo many singlesThe long hand of faithClasped in patienceIs long enoughTo reach fruitsOutside…
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Sacrifices with no microphones
A house standsOn the expertise of many workersA structure of many materials A child is molded into usefulnessUsing clay of different huesSacrifices, compromises, sweat, coaching The higher a buildingThe deeper its foundationElements that will never be seenAnd given due recognitionFor their contributions But there is an eye aboveThat sees below and beyondNoting sacrifices with no…
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When I grow up
Refuse to growYou’ll soon be glowingIn the discomforting lightOf stunted growthIt’s a harsh worldWhere its builders banishThose who stay backLay backWhile everything around them is changing What does adulthood look like?A mirage for many youthSoon the illusionThat being an adultBrings immense freedom without responsibilitiesFades like echoes in a forgotten dream It’s those who sit in…
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A visit to Lomé
They say maltreatments at one’s current place of abode or work is sometimes the mighty finger of God disguised as a mean boss or guardian, nudging one to upgrade, break camp and advance to some new place, higher heights. Usually sounds a nice philosophy to share but hard living it. I had plenty of misunderstandings…
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Beaches of Abidjan
I stayed in Ivory Coast for four years. My stay there is a book of untold stories. Today, I share a paragraph. About my hobby. Where I lived was called Gonzagueville, in-between a Ghanaian community called Anani and a key port suburb called Port-Bouet, where the airport is also located. What is unique about where…
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A battle of double standards
It’s a sad trend. You set up a school, and to convince parents to enroll their children, you must prove the percentage of students who pass the final exams conducted nationally. School has become big time business. And so, schools will go to all lengths to get parents to enroll their children. Students know that…
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On Love, Marriage and Romance
When it comes to love, especially for a person seeking love, all I think of is persistence and self-upgrade. Anything can work if you push hard and are willing to put in the efforts required. But you certainly don’t want to pump your sweat and precious time into something that makes you constantly look back…
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The streets of Accra
Why did she call? I contemplate while hurrying home, checking the time on my phone every now and then. Would be odd to have her arrive there ahead of me. Those roommates of mine, we are at loggerheads so they won’t bother to let me know someone came looking for me. In my direction is…
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Gloomy night
I heard her. Splashing water into toilet seats. Kicking and knocking washroom doors to be sure no one was in there. Rolling mop buckets. I could smell the scent of detergents, and her grumbling. “So a human being really did this!” she blurted. I’ve always complained about the poor maintenance of the washrooms. Here was…
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Strangers
We sometimes dream of one day making great connections, friendships that are deeply rewarding or important business contacts. In our mind, that ideal some day will be perhaps our first trip on a plane to a new land, a special dinner or some miraculous coincidence. We may even fantasize that during such special days we…
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The Games
It was a family fun day. But the arrangements under the canopies were not according to families. This was the Body of Christ so every person under each canopy was seen as family. I knew no one. Threading cautiously, I entered the venue, a park. Things were done differently in this new church. There was…
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The wedding at Baaltazar
“I paid 10,000 cedis to rent this place for the wedding reception.” the groom told me. “Wow! That’s a lot of money.” I remarked. In my mind, I was calculating how many months it would take me to raise that amount of money. At least 12, if I were determined to keep my salary whole…
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Medieval Chapel
I enter a medieval chapelTrapped in the ancient architecture A distinctive atmosphere I grope for a labelI marvel at the mysteryAnd mastery Of the designsThe dexterity The pain and passion pumped into the projectImpressively appealing A signature of past lives and past timesIn its walls, I sense the sweat of the workersAnd the desperation of…
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It’s an empty market
Hungry, I hurry to the marketAll along the way, I imagine the things I’ll buyOccasionally drifting off to think of other thingsI arriveAn empty market greets meHow?! Oh! I suddenly remember whyAs I look up to windows Of nearby hostelsAll shut, except a few squeaking in the gentle windsIt’s vacation today for the studentsDamn! Where…
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I fear these dark valleys
I fear these dark valleysWhere echoes of footstepsHaunt meI dread these lonesome journeysWhere pieces of broken promises Jab meI fish these empty spacesFor something to fill the emptiness withinPalpable emptiness, all I catchI’ll revere these formative yearsAnd the tears, uncertainties and testsThey fed me Email:Benjaminnambu1@gmail.com WhatsApp: +233 541 824 839
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Mark and Tiffany
Mark thought deeply about what he was about to do. Risky, no doubt. But it’s in trying you increase your chances of success. But this trial was no ordinary trial. Failing will be unbearable. He thought deeply, slowly. He and Tiffany had been friends long enough. At first, whenever he asked a girl out, the…
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Life different from ours
In the city where we live, life happens so fast. There’s hardly time to pause and remember even one’s own name. A month passes by like a silent wind, impossible to clutch and account for what one did with them. You’re neighbour’s with strangers for years and friends with people far far away. But here…
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The Missing Keys
One Christmas evening, we were returning home after a visit to one of our aunt when I felt my pocket and realized the bunch of keys to our house was missing. “Oh! “ I exclaimed. ” I forgot the keys at Aunt Regina’s place. My big brother was the kind that hardly smiled. And it…
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No filters
Each time I’m woundedThere has always been a tendencyTo shut myself inBut a covered plantCannot blossomEven if it doesWhat healthy growth could that be?That’s why I keep shining, I keep smilingEven when it’s difficult dilating my lipsThat’s why I keep doing goodEven when I’m paid ingratitude in returnSee the many things I would have missedHad…
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This too shall pass
Was like some sort of rebirth. Finding oneself in a new land, a strange land. Many of the strongly guarded values back home do not hold here. It’s like some new set of rules for living, tailored to the needs of the people, existed here. A stranger, Louis strolls through the streets of his new…
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You’ll go mad
They say if you read too muchYou’ll go madOf courseIf you drink too muchYou’ll be drunkButDepends on what you’re drinkingAnd what’s fueling the thirstCould be waterFueled by a good workoutIn which caseDrinking is good for healthLike good books to the mindDrink too much practical, useful knowledgeGet drunk with wisdomGet drunk with passionTo see your dreams…
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The inner compass
We’ve come farThough miles still lay aheadBut the view from here is beautifulThere are those who sayIt’s taken too long to arrive hereListening to such voicesHas never produced any progressShut your ears, look only aheadOne stride at a timeIt’s an unusual journeyWhy should those who won’t travel this pathDecide how we journey on it?Listen instead,…
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Respect everybody
The little things of yesterday Grow to become important The confusion of yesterday Clears, and wisdom grows In its placeIgnorance is not staticFools grow wise over timeThese tiny little plants That are indistinguishable From one anotherGrow into thick, giant treesA mighty forestDespise no oneDiscriminate against no oneUnderestimate no oneThere is no soul that has no…
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Some days
Some days I have nothing to saySome days I have no strengthTo push onSome days I’m confusedSome days I feel left behindSo many of my friendsSeem far aheadSome days I find so many things around meAnnoyingSome days I wonderIf I can make itTill the endSome days I have a line-upOf exciting thingsTo look forward toSome…
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A lot has changed
Giovanni, a lot has changed since you left. Mango Street is no more what it used to be. Remember the spot where Alima and Saada fought one New Year eve? We woke up one morning to find a thief lynched and tied to an electric pole there. We did not know how the whole incident…
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Emerge victorious
I’ll pretend all is wellI’ll return to where I fellI’ll rehearse all I’ve learntI’ll recover all I’ve lostI’ll defend it with all I’ve got I’ll assemble all the meansI’ll discover all I can beI’ll travel wherever this path leadsI’ll be tagged notoriousI’ll emerge victorious
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Sophie
Her job drives her nuts! She tries to keep calm, tries to act normal, tries to blend in with the others, but the cracks in the pretense are too visible. No wonder those who worked there for over thirty years were tight friends with alcohol. At night, it’s hard to stay awake at work. And…
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Knight fall
At nightfall, the knight fellHumming a song wellKnown to sailorsKnitted into soothsayersBy unfortunate series of eventsBut an iroko can never be bentAnd so the knightRose and knifedThrough the stormy seasArriving at a harbor sealedIn fog, everyone breaks into tearsAs mariners turned masseursKnead his sore shouldersAnd sore cold ears
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Unbroken streak
The headlamp in the skydims, another day goes byAn unbroken streakThat’s outlived the strong and weak The next chance to trybeams, whether it lays so nighOr buried very deepThat’s for tomorrow to reveal The best tides to rideis sleep, in order to riseOne must sometimes kneelblushed in the harrowing ordeal https://wp.me/p4GQQl-AUR
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Mission Impossible
Sarah and Cliff. They’d only been apart for a week and Cliff already had a new woman hanging off his arm. The news was hard to swallow, but it came from a reliable gossip. Cliff must be out of his mind! We set off to his house to give him a piece of our mind.…
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Embracing the twists
Yesterday was a party Today I retire to solitude And uncertainty Embracing it all with gratitude https://wp.me/p4GQQl-AHa
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When courage frays at the seams
Like a clockAmbitions chimeLike a frogI’ll take one leap at a time Turning back seemsInviting, but forward is forwardEven when courage frays at the seamsAnd pressing on seems awkward I’ll pat my own backAnd carry on with faltering stepsOn this narrow pathWith its twists and turns
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This is your land
This land belongs to all of usLet us not sit idleAnd watch savage dogsTear it apartIf our leader is an iron beastWith no emotionsWe must show himThe road to the zooWe may fly to greener pasturesBut let us rememberTo come back homeAnd build our motherlandin rubblesThanks to talented thievesin our officesWith long noses and empty…
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She is mine
She’s been mineSince nineShe’s thirty and still thirstyOf my affection Cold and dusty hazeTried to turnOur relationshipInto an old and rusty cage Our love will not be tamedEven if it were caughtIn the metal teeth of a trapOur bond will never break https://wp.me/paf3ao-i9d
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Bloom with cheerfulness
Funtime and sunshinePotions to help cope with daily motionsDon’t wanna look back when oldWondering, where did the days go?My wrinkled face, an attraction of gloominessLike money magnet Why let time slip byWhile you sit, doting on silly notionsSpread from head to toeThat all worries must lose teeth and holdOn your happinessBefore you can bloom with…
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One starless night
Dark melodies, playing over and over all night from a nearby cottage. Anna sat in their little farmhouse, attention fixed on Grandpa recounting dreadful tales best left untold, and hoping that evil spirits will catch a whiff of the incense mother was burning and be warded off. “For years she had no news of her…
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Fertile connections ?
To passers-by, this was luggage. To Awal, it was his destiny wrapped in a box, carried on his shoulder. What he once called homeland is now a stretch of empty hopes he’s given up chasing. Initially, when the idea of abandoning his shop first occured to him, he thought it was his impatience speaking to…
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On the airwaves
It’s Earl Nightingale on the airwaves and his talks of strange secrets.As I listen, my mind wonder off. It’s been three years now since I left home for greener pastures. The pasture here is no greener than that of home. Damn! And I haven’t saved. Only once have I sent money home. Shame on me…
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Sip by sip
Strong facesare baked in tough ovensAnd tough feeton rough roadsYou and Ihave come from afarAnd if this strugglemust mean somethingwe’ve got to hold ontill the very endThose who have come a long waystarted out with a single stepfollowed by anotherIf you must drink this bitter cuptake it sip by sip
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Aching for a walk
It’s a hazy Friday afternoon End of a long fasting and prayer Under mango trees in the bush Hurrying home ahead of my parents To break my fast before my fast breaks me Having filled my belly, my legs ache for a walk In the stretches of vast Savannah grasslands I stroll in the woods,…
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Machine hearts
“I want to be a soldier!” It’s been his song since childhood Inspired by Batman And the other guy who gums and ‘degums’ himself from buildings to save a girl in danger Little did he know that soldiers wear uniforms Much larger than the passion to defend the defenseless It’s only from high up here…
Diary of a Wanderer 