stand up and speak now! Poem by Ojijo Ogillo - Allpublicspeakers

stand up and speak now! Poem by Ojijo Ogillo - Allpublicspeakers

1.      stand
up and speak now! (poem by Ojijo ogillo)

 

they assailed you with the choice,

they dared you to talk, taxing your guts,

they told you, stand up and speak now,

 

oh how you were sweating and
panting,

how you stuttered and
stammered,

how you winked and blinked,

and they told you, stand up
and speak now,

 

you bit your lips and ground your teeth,

you trembled an almost fell ,

as the podium advanced to you,

and they told you, stand up and speak now,

 

you had not paced the path
of prose,

the forest of speech,

or the lane of language,

but they told you, stand up
and speak now,

 

you shivered with dread,
faltering with hesitation,

you treaded with
uncertainty,

 sneaking to the front,

you had to stand up and
speak now,

 

 

will they twist and turn
with boredom,

will they giggle and chuckle
with glee,

or will they nod and clap in
applause,

 

i am not afraid anymore,

i shall stand up and speak
now,

stand up and speak now! Poem by Ojijo Ogillo - Allpublicspeakers

stand up and speak now! Poem by Ojijo Ogillo - Allpublicspeakers

1.      stand
up and speak now! (poem by Ojijo ogillo)

 

they assailed you with the choice,

they dared you to talk, taxing your guts,

they told you, stand up and speak now,

 

oh how you were sweating and
panting,

how you stuttered and
stammered,

how you winked and blinked,

and they told you, stand up
and speak now,

 

you bit your lips and ground your teeth,

you trembled an almost fell ,

as the podium advanced to you,

and they told you, stand up and speak now,

 

you had not paced the path
of prose,

the forest of speech,

or the lane of language,

but they told you, stand up
and speak now,

 

you shivered with dread,
faltering with hesitation,

you treaded with
uncertainty,

 sneaking to the front,

you had to stand up and
speak now,

 

 

will they twist and turn
with boredom,

will they giggle and chuckle
with glee,

or will they nod and clap in
applause,

 

i am not afraid anymore,

i shall stand up and speak
now,

you boda man, are you married? (Poem by Ojijo Ogillo)

(extracted from Fireplace Stories: Ojijo's Performance Poems. Poem .2012. ISBN.978-9966-123-17-6)
 
(performed on a boda (motorbike), on stage)

you boda man, are you married?

you ride at breakneck speed,
you cruise wth reckless abandon,
you overtake and jump lanes,
are you married,
 

you boda man, are you married?

you scream mouthtfulls, in insults,
you croak a bagful of abuses,
kuma nyoko,
kuma nina,
musilu daladala,
are you married?

 

you boda man, are you married?

your mouth stinks,
making me close my nose, mouth, and eyes,
your collar is darked with sweat,
dirty beyond description,
you smell of stale sweat,
you are a he-goat,
are you married?

 you boda man, are you married?

you respect no rules,
you break all rules,
you have no rules,
you even break your own rules,
are you married?

 

you boda man, are you married?

you run like headless chicken,
helter skelter,
you move like a bull on heat,
on rampage,
you arun amok,
on a death wish,
are you married?

 

you boda man, are you married?
the day before the day before yesterday,
you knocked a car,
the day before yesterday,
you knocked an old woman,
yesterday,
you knocked a school little girl,
and today,
today you have knocked me,
are you married?

 

you boda man,

stop,
go no further,
simama hapa wewe,
masawo,
stupid,
you are not married!

 (Ojijo is a lawyer, author, poet, pianist, luo culture expert, business systems consultant, career mentor, public speaker and coach:+256776100059: ojijo@allpublicspakers.com)

 

 

 

the mountainside. poem by Ojijo Ogillo

(extracted from Fireplace Stories: Ojijo's Performance Poems. Poem .2012. ISBN.978-9966-123-17-6)

 

the mountainside

 

i am on my way to the mountainside,

that side of the mountain with green, lush green grass,

and shadowly trees, with canopy, wide and widening,

 

i am on my way to the mountainside,

that side of the mountain with  sunlight,

bright sun, burning worries and warming cold hearts,

 

i am on my way to the mountainside,

that side of the mountain with breeze,

freshbreeze reinvigorating, tantalizing, and refreshing,

 

i am on my way to the mountainside,

that side of the mountain with birds,

chirping and singing, crowing and whistling,

 

i am on my way to the mountain side,

that side of the moutanin with women, sexy,

with full lips, full hips, and full tits,

 

i am on my way to the mountain side,

that side of the mountain with men,

handsome men, with strong hands, big biceps, and large chests

revolutionaries (poem by Ojijo Ogillo)

(extracted from Fireplace Stories: Ojijo's Performance Poems. Poem .2012. ISBN.978-9966-123-17-6)

revolutionaries

 

the revolutionaries,

they stand up for justice in times of tyranny.

they fight in times of injustice.

they struggle to dispense equality.

in times of darkness they are the midnight sun.

they are the revolutionaries!

 

the revolutionaries,

in times of fear, they are the courage we wear.

in times of thirst, they are the water we drink.

in times of cold, they are the warmth we seek. 

they are the revolutionaries!

 

the revolutionaries,

they are men, and they are women.

they are the revolutionaries.

they are young, and they are old.

they are the revolutionaries.

they are rich, and they are poor.

they are the revolutionaries.

they are educated, and they are uneducated.

they are the revolutionaries.

 

the revolutionaries,

some carry guns, some carry pens,

some are idealists, some are practical,

some teach, some command,

some inspire, some threaten,

the revolutionaries

 

we can now sleep comfortably, or not,

we can now eat well, or not,

we can now get educated, or not,

we can now get medicine for our diseases, or not,

because of revolutionaries, or lack of them

 

so,

wash the fear of your face,

clear the tremor out of your voice,

shake the insecurity from your clothes.

stand up and be counted,

become a revolutionary!

 

the revolutionary is a doomed man.

he has no private interests,

he has no affairs,

he has no sentiments,

he has no ties,

he has no property

he has no name of his own.

 

his entire being is devoured by one purpose,

he has one thought, the revolution

he has one passion, the revolution

he is a revolutionary heart and soul,

he is a revolutionary word and deed,

 

he has severed every link with the social order

 he has severed every link with the entire civilized he has severed every link with the world;

he has severed every link with the laws,

he has severed every link with the good manners,

he has severed every link with the conventions,

he has severed every link with the morality 

 

 

(Ojijo is a lawyer, author, poet, pianist, luo culture expert, business systems consultant, career mentor, public speaker and coach:+256776100059: ojijo@allpublicspakers.com)

 

Fireplace Stories: Ojijo's Performance Poems: leave me alone! (poem number 3 of 154 poems by Oji...

Fireplace Stories: Ojijo's Performance Poems: leave me alone! (poem number 3 of 154 poems by Oji...: (extracted from Fireplace Stories: ojijo's performance poems.)   you walk by, and i fall to pieces. you laugh, and i am haunt...

leave me alone! (poem number 3 of 154 poems by Ojijo)

(extracted from Fireplace Stories: ojijo's performance poems.)

 

you walk by, and i fall to pieces.

you laugh, and i am haunted by the ring of your laughter,
leave me alone,

 

you smile, and my breadth leaves me,
you laugh, and my heart skips a beat,
let me be,

 

you look at me, and confuse me,
you steal a glance, and i lose attention,
do not do that to me,

 

you talk to me, and tie my tongue,
you ask me a question, and my goes bananas,
please, release me,

 

you come to my mind, and leave me in a trance,

you visit my thoughts, and i am forever in bliss,
why do you do this to me,

 

you kill me, and give me life,
you take my breadth away, and make me breathe,
why do i suffer, and enjoy you so!

 

( Ojijo-lawyer, poet, public speaker and coach, business systems consultant. ojijop@allpublicspeakers.com, +256776100059)

if no, then why (Poem By Ojijo)

(extracted from Fireplace Stories: Ojijo's performance poems)

if today was your last day,

would you work at a job that gives you no happiness?

with a boss who insults you?

with colleagues who are backstabbing?

at an office with stale air?

if no, then why?

 

if today was your last day,

would you stay with a sarcastic buffoon,

would you sleep with a pathetic lover,

would you love a sadistic partner,

would you marry a cheating fool,

if no, then why?

 

if today was your last day,

would you see your mother one a year?

would you call your sister once a month?

would you spend only one week with your relatives?

would you swear, curse, and fight with your siblings?

if no, then why?

 

if today was your last day,

would you work more, and see your family less?

would shrug and grunt, or smile and talk to your spouse?

would you say bye, or kiss and hug your children bye,

would you hate your mother in law, your sister in law, so bad?

if no, then why?

 

i know fear my friends! (By Ojijo)

(Extracted from Fireplace Stories: Ojijo's Performance Poems)
ojijo-poet, public speaker, author, pianist, lawyer, consultant in business systems, feasibility study, financial projections and strategic planning: 0776 100059, ojijo@allpublicspeakers.com)

 

i have been afraid,

i have been scared,

i have been frightened,

i have been terrified,

i have trembled,

i have known fear my friends,

 

i have been deeply fearful,

that fifth day of march, 2009,

i have trembled with dread,

that fateful day for my friends OULU GPO and KAMAU KINGARA,

i have been anxious and petrified,

that day they called me and told me i was next,

i know fear my friends,

 

for fear got into my hands, and they trembled,

for fear got into my heart, and it fluttered,

for fear got into my voice, and it quivered,

for fear got into my legs, and they wobbled,

yes, fear got into my stomach that day,

and it refused food,

i have been afraid my friends,

 

that night i kissed my woman,

and tasted terror,

that night i held my woman,

and embraced horror,

that night i hugged my woman,

and offered panic,

that day, fear visited me,

and stayed,

 

that time i spent a day,

and waited for death,

i slept the night,

and knew the night would not break on me,

i listened to footsteps,

and counted my last breadths,

i died ten times that day,

i have known fear my friends,

 

i have seen men switch off their phones, and keep quiet,

i have seen men cringe in their bones, and hush their tones,

i have seen men break their promises, and coil their tails,

i have seen what fear does to friends, turning them into spies,

i have been afraid my friends,

 

i have been afraid my friends,

fear stops the heart, makes it cold,

fear paralyses the feet, you can’t walk,

fear ties the tongue, you can’t speak,

fear stops the lungs, you can’t breadth

i know fear my friends,

 

it is cruel and shocking,

what fear does to men,

it is wicked and evil,

what fear did to me,

it is brutal and sadistic,

what fear did to my friends,

it is horrific and terrifying,

to live in fear,

my friends, it is better to die than to live in fear,

 

why is love like this?

(extracted from FireplaceStories: Ojijo's Performance Poems. Poem No. 171. ISBN.978-9966-123-17-6)
-Ojijo is a lawyer, poet, author, public speaker, career mentor, business coach. +256 776 100059, ojijo@allpublicspeakers.com

 

if love is most important,

then why is it so close to hate,

and so similar to fear,

 

if love is most powerful,

then why does it make us so weak,

and make us feel pathetic,

 

if love is so strong,

then why is it so near to doubt,

and so close to uncertainity,

 

if love is everlasting,

then why do we love one today,

and love another tomorrow,

 

if love is pure,

then why is it covered in envy,

and fenced in jealousy,

 

if love is so sweet,

then why does loving hurt,

and being in love wound the heart,

 

if love is so strong,

then why is it a servant of time,

and a slave to patience,

 

why does love make me afraid,

why does love make me shudder,

tell me why?