It was Valentine when we first fell in love. When we finally came to understand that love is not a feeling, but a choice. A decision to look beyond our different views and unique characteristics, Beyond your pet peeves and my nit-pickiness And choose to love. To look beyond our past heartaches and youthful mistakes, Beyond you kissing that girl and me sending those pics And choose forgiveness. I chose you, and you chose me So we choose to keep what God brought together Man and woman who grow with each other Husband and wife who stick in good and bad weather For richer and for poorer Till death do us part. And it all started with Our First Look, Our First Hug, Our First Kiss, Our First Fight, Our First Love.
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! It was an interesting experience writing this poetry series and exploring the stages of a relationship. I suggest that you love each other before marrying though😂. Thanks for your support! Love,
It was Valentine when we had our first fight. As I think about it now, I don’t remember why we had a row But I remember it was a bitter battle of bickering bereft of a breakthrough, You battered me with your words, babbling like a brook over how I blew you bankrupt. We played a vicious game of Monopoly, I passed Go but you refused to pay up, You would rather go to jail than spend more time with me on our board And I was bored, and angry, and upset So I said mean words I didn’t mean And you meant the mean words you couldn’t say. We spent days refusing to speak with each other, Steaming like a pot of soup I thought we were birds of a feather but we found ourselves in a pot of soup Cooking slowly and definitely surely. “Were we headed for our end?”, I asked myself Unsure of our previously beautiful future, And it all started with Our First Fight.
A storm in and not over paradise, I see. Catch the finale tomorrow! Love,
It was Valentine when we had our first kiss. Two years after we first met, I met you down the aisle, Excited, exhilarated, and all but exhausted by the journey we were about to undertake. When the minister gave us permission, You gave me a shy smile, Hiding your nervousness as your best man was wiping your perspiration, You gave me sly smile, Hinting at the vows you would be sealing when your lips met mine, Oh, when your lips met mine! I saw why authors write about girls writing about their first kiss. This was ours, and it was both soft and sweet, Both tense and tender, Both raw and romantic. I could hear your thoughts and how they promised me the world in our union And it all started with Our First Kiss.
I am looking forward to my first kiss at the altar! Are you? Love,
It was Valentine when we had our first hug. We had just finished conversing, and it seemed the best way to say goodbye Was with the meeting of our bodies for a few seconds. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Five extremely quick seconds, But when we parted, I wanted to come back for seconds so badly, I nearly Olivia Twisted myself, coming to ask for more. A hug is truly the connecting of hearts, Because you made me the Queen of Hearts with how I felt mine meld with yours. I could feel your strength, A testimony of how many hours you spent building yourself up; I could feel your scars, A memoir of the battles you waged, some won and some barely escaped; I could feel our past, present and future, A foretelling of the possibilities awaiting us if we would try; And it all started with Our First Hug.
That one person can give that one hug that makes you feel better. See you in two days for Part 3! Love,
It was Valentine when we had our first look. Our pupils met, and like good students, we were ready to learn everything about each other. I looked into your iris and found my Barry Allen. There were fireworks in our eyes, Flames beating so high, I would have burned to a crisp stuck in your gaze. It was crush at first sight, Emotions running high as a kite. I just felt sweet, sweet, bliss And all I wanted to do was give you a…gist about my day, Yearning to spend my whole day staring into the windows of your soul, Learning everything and nothing about you Because who can tell truth from real lies when we communicate with our real eyes? I realise I am falling into the chocolate-coloured ocean that flows beneath your eyelids But if I drown, at least I’ll drown in you. And it all started with Our First Look.
Love is in the air and in our eyes! I hope you enjoyed this. Come back in two days for Day 2 of Our First Valentine ! Love,
Christmas to me Is full of sweet songs and care-free carols From jingling bells to far-away mangers We ask Mary if she knew as we deck our halls with boughs Everyone, even the bah-humbugging Scrooges and Christmas-stealing Grinches, knows at least one memorable tune Songs made hundreds of years ago and their modern remixes fill the December skies As radio stations and Spotify streamers pay homage to these great tunes Some songs are full of holly and jolly Reminding us to be merry and full of cheer Others are more sober and soft Calmly bidding us to slow down our busy lives and ponder on the season Even if I could have forgotten what time of year it is, the songs always bring my memory back with joyous bursts And this, is Christmas to me
Christmas to me Is full of the aromas of good food cooking From the Ghanaian Jollof and chicken To the Western turkey and pudding We may disagree on a lot of things, But nothing brings people together like Christmas meals Even when Mama calls me to come and cook in the kitchen, I power through the steaming heat and angry onions In anticipation of the ballad of flavours that would play on my tongue The festive joy that will slowly slide down my throat And calmly settle in my stomach, ready to make me content with its contents Even the most common food is special during the season Every seasoning adds a new little kick To the finger-licking good meal And this, is Christmas to me
Christmas to me Is full of decorated shopping centres bidding us to buy trees and tinsel When several hawkers peddle Santa hats inscribed with “Merry Christmas” and “Happy 2024” And when most houses, buildings and roundabouts shine red, blue, yellow and green with their strings of lights It’s one of the most colourful and bright seasons of the year Almost every night sky bursts with spectacular fireworks that herald the coming new year And some towns celebrate with parades of Santa Clauses of all shapes, sizes and colours Even if your home takes its decorations down immediately after the 26th, Or leaves them up until the next Easter, The season is truly glorious and bright And this, is Christmas to me
Christmas to me Is full of memory lane-travelling and reminiscing thoughts When people reflect on the events of the year Remembering what was gained and who was lost. We shed tears of joy and grieve with tears of nostalgia We look forward to better things in the coming new year while being overcome with emotions about what took place in the past Some mourn the deceased and some celebrate new life But everyone feels something during the season Even if we burst into tears when mourning, Or let a few loose while praising the reason for the season, It’s okay to acknowledge that this time makes us cry And this, is Christmas to me
Christmas to me Is full of anticipation towards the coming new year When lists of resolutions start getting drafted And character changes start getting planned We plan, pray and prepare for a new beginning Where we hope for better and brighter days Where the sadness of the previous year turns into battle scars And any losses become notches on our bedposts To serve as reminders of where we came from and motivation for the journey ahead. Even if we were broken and bruised, Or had the best time of our lives, We can always have faith that we will make it through whatever life throws at us And this, is Christmas to me
It has been a wonderful five weeks journeying through what Christmas means to me. I hope you enjoyed it, and have a very Happy New Year!!
Christmas to me Is full of anticipation towards the coming new year When lists of resolutions start getting drafted And character changes start getting planned We plan, pray and prepare for a new beginning Where we hope for better and brighter days Where the sadness of the previous year turns into battle scars And any losses become notches on our bedposts To serve as reminders of where we came from and motivation for the journey ahead. Even if we were broken and bruised, Or had the best time of our lives, We can always have faith that we will make it through whatever life throws at us And this, is Christmas to me
Next year all our troubles will be out of sight…
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS (BLANE & MARTIN, 1943)
Christmas to me Is full of memory lane-travelling and reminiscing thoughts When people reflect on the events of the year Remembering what was gained and who was lost. We shed tears of joy and grieve with tears of nostalgia We look forward to better things in the coming new year while being overcome with emotions about what took place in the past Some mourn the deceased and some celebrate new life But everyone feels something during the season Even if we burst into tears when mourning, Or let a few loose while praising the reason for the season, It’s okay to acknowledge that this time makes us cry And this, is Christmas to me
And sometimes Christmas makes me cry…
CHRISTMAS MAKES ME CRY (MANDISA FT MATTHEW WEST, 2008)
Christmas to me Is full of decorated shopping centres bidding us to buy trees and tinsel When several hawkers peddle Santa hats inscribed with “Merry Christmas” and “Happy 2024” And when most houses, buildings and roundabouts shine red, blue, yellow and green with their strings of lights It’s one of the most colourful and bright seasons of the year Almost every night sky bursts with spectacular fireworks that herald the coming new year And some towns celebrate with parades of Santa Clauses of all shapes, sizes and colours Even if your home takes its decorations down immediately after the 26th, Or leaves them up until the next Easter, The season is truly glorious and bright And this, is Christmas to me
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree / How lovely are thy branches…
Christmas to me Is full of the aromas of good food cooking From the Ghanaian Jollof and chicken To the Western turkey and pudding We may disagree on a lot of things, But nothing brings people together like Christmas meals Even when Mama calls me to come and cook in the kitchen, I power through the steaming heat and angry onions In anticipation of the ballad of flavours that would play on my tongue The festive joy that will slowly slide down my throat And calmly settle in my stomach, ready to make me content with its contents Even the most common food is special during the season Every seasoning adds a new little kick To the finger-licking good meal And this, is Christmas to me
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, Fanta ne nkatie3 (groundnut), Paya ne Anwamo (pear and oil rice)…
Gems from a Sapphire 