TO YOU MY LOVE

Thinking about
your love for me,
my mind flashes back
to the years gone by.
You've done
so much for me
and I can never
thank you enough.
I know sometimes
I act like a jerk
and it seems like
I don't appreciate it all
but the truth is I actually do.
I wish things were different
but what can I do?
If I could turn back
the hands of time
or get a second chance,
I would not hesitate
to run into your arms
a thousand times more

© Gbeminiyi Alli 15th June 2010

Mind Your Mind

The mind of a man
remains a mystery to me.
Its size and might,
I simply cannot comprehend.

The mind of a man
remains a mystery to me.
The wickedness that comes
from within it, I cannot explain.

The mind of a man
remains a mystery to me.
Guard yours diligently,
Lest it be trampled upon.

The mind of a man
remains a mystery to me.
Fill it with love, and
peace will dwell in it.

The mind of a man
remains a mystery to me.
Fill it with love, and
its' beauty will bless the earth.

© Gbeminiyi Alli 6th June 2010

To Every Friend

To every friend
walking into or
through my life,
I’m glad you are.
Take a leap
and tell its tales.

To every friend
who may or will
walk into my life,
I hope the grounds
remain fertile enough
for you to explore.

To every friend who has
ever walked into my life
or walked through it;
Let me ask,
that we count the miles
And keep the smiles

No matter how we met,
or the length of time
we journeyed together,
or the nature
or circumstances
surrounding it all,

I am grateful
for every lesson
and values or perhaps
both that I learnt
from you and
our relationship.

Whether negative
or positive,
they’ve added up.
Thanks for being
a friend or a fiend
as the case may be.

 Ó Gbeminiyi Alli 1st April, 2010

OKO OJU OMI OMIJE (The Ship of Tears Yoruba Version)

Okò ojú omi ti omijé

Ikoko ti idakeroro

Pelu omije ti o jinle

Eyiti o wa lati inu irora

Lati inu agbami ironu

Ti o jinle ninu okan mi

Èrò tí o ńso jáde

Lati ala ti o buru

Eyiti o ti ru s’oke

lati ojo si ojo,

Ti o nipon ti o si ga

Ninu okan jinjin

            

Isan ironu kan,

Ro yika lati inu òrò ti a gbe

Ti o dabi oko

Si okan mi ti o si daa lu

Ani ibi ti o le pupo

Ninu emi mi

A! bawo ni okan mi

ti gbogbe to

Nigbati omije wooro rogba

Yi gbogbo ereke mi

Ti o sin san de

Igba aya mi

Bi mo si ti n la ibu

Koja lori agbami

Ni agbabu

oko omije

Ni opolopo ojo

Ati paapa ose.

Emi o tan

atupa elepo

Ng o si la ibu ja

Laarin okun inira,

Ni ireti ati tete de

Ebute alaafia

Sibe emi ko ni

Yo omi na lenu rara.

Emi yo rora koja jeje

Ng o si ri pe

Bi mo ti nkoja lo

Mo ni itelorun sibe.

Ó Gbeminiyi Alli 2009

Read English version - The Ship of Tears

ALWAYS REMEMBER

When the sky is dark

And the weather is cold,

When the trees stand and stare

And the road seems long,

Always remember - That He cares.

When the pathway seems long,

And temptation is strong,

When there is no help,

And your strength is almost gone,

Always remember - That’s the time to press on.

For life has its virtues,

sometimes hidden behind dark clouds,

or beneath a broken wall,

or even wrapped in onion skins.

But come what may,

 Always remember, That He cares, And so do I.

© Gbeminiyi Alli 1998

Ship Of Tears!

The ship of tears,
A tank of silent
and deep tears
borne out of pain
from a sea of thoughts
so deep in my mind.

Thoughts springing
from cruel odd lines
that had built up,
day after day,
so thick and high
deep within.

A stream of thoughts,
coiled from cutting words
which are a dagger
to my heart, piercing through
even the most solid
grounds of my soul.

Oh! how my heart aches
as warm tears crawl over
my round cheeks
finding their way
to my blossoming
bosom.

And as I sail
across the bay
on a large cruise
ship of tears,
over many days
and even weeks,

I will light up
an old kerosene lamp
and wade through
the oceans of pain,
hoping to arrive quickly
at the safest shore.

Yet, I will not,
trouble the waters.
I will wade thru gently
making sure that
as I pass on,
I am satisfied still.

© Gbeminiyi Alli 2009

Read Yoruba version - Oko Oju Omi Omije 

Do it Now!

Life is a precious gift,

Cherish it.

For each moment

you get

is all you've got

and all you

can ever be sure of.

Cherish the love,

people and moments

that you have.

Cherish the little ones also

and the joy that they bring.

Hug your children,

Cuddle them,

Re-affirm

your love to them

day after day.

Do it today,

Do it now!

Don't leave it for later,

Don't leave it till tomorrow.

DO IT NOW!

 © Gee Bee March 2011

Words, Anger & Emotions - The Too True Story of the Nail in the Fence.

The Too True Story of the Nail in the Fence.

This is a good one.  It hit home for me.  Hopefully you'll like it too.

Nail In The Fence:
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.
He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it; and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there." A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
My Note:
Sometimes I am harsh, and more hurtful than I intend.  Anger and fear cause some of it.  Sometimes it happens because I want to be funny (even at someone's expense).  Other times it happens because I want to help someone -- and I choose to be direct -- regardless of how they will "feel it" when I deliver the message.
Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole.

What Was I To Do

What was I to do

When you walked out

and said I wasn’t good enough?

What was I to do

When I’d done all I could

but none seemed to work?

What was I to do

When I waited endless nights

and you never returned?

What was I to do

When my heart bled

and I lost all hope?

What was I to do

When you return and

say I'm all you ever want?

What was I to do

When you leave again

Like a flash in the dark.

What was I to do

For a broken pot

can never hold water.

ÓGbeminiyi Alli 7^th June 2010

Thankful!

Tis your grace
that has brought me
thus far.

I am grateful for life.
For every breath
that I breathe.
It’s the reason
this note exists.

I am grateful,
for in your presence
I find strength
and your words
guide my deeds.

I am thankful
for the gift of life,
the ones you formed
in my womb, and the joy
that they bring.

I am thankful
for the eyes
that look up to me
and the hearts
that adore me.

I am thankful
for the one whom
my soul adores,
the one who makes
my world go round.

I am thankful
for the gift of family,
every one of them.
Though I had no choice,
I’m glad cause You picked

the very best for me.
A loving father, A doting mother
Two wonderful sisters
Two great brothers
and splendid relatives.

I am thankful
for the hands
that nurtured me,
the hearts that have loved me
and ever will.

I am thankful
for friends
and foes alike
they are always
a blessing in disguise

the friends,
who have become
family, those whose
footprints could never
be forgotten

I am thankful
for every person
that has walked into my life,
either for a reason
or a season.

For the values,
fate and fortune
they brought,
added
or took away.

I am thankful
for everything
that I am,and all that
you’ve made me.
For the favours

yet undeserved.
For the blessings
larger than I.
For the grace
that makes distinct.

Though,
my years are few;
the things
you’ve done
are numerous.

I am THANKFUL,
So Thankful
For my life
And all that
makes it beautiful.

Thank you Lord
for everything!!!

Happy Birthday to me!!

© Gbeminiyi Alli 23rd Jan 2011

The Weekend That Changed My Life

Life is what you make it. You have the power to take action and change things in your life. Life has no meaning except for what you give to it.”

The Weekend That Changed My Life

HIS WORDS, NOT MINE

Lately, I have been

sitting on the edge

with a pledge

to merge my

thoughts together

But today,

As I sat on the edge,

I wept bitterly with

no one to console me

and none to help.

I wept bitterly from

the core depths

of my being
yet, not a single tear

ran down my cheek.

My heart ached

and cold chills

ran through my spine,

as my mind raced

faster than its body;

And just when

I got up to go,

I saw certain words

written on the screen;

His words, Not mine.

Words written in
the book of Isaiah
chapter forty three
verse two.

And just then,

I realised
I was not alone
that someone
had been there
with me all along.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”  - Isaiah 43:2 NKJV

©Gbeminiyi Alli November 27, 2010

MY PILLAR

In my few years on earth,

I have come to know, 

that whenever life throws

a challenge at me,

It’s you Oh! God

bringing me to my knees,

and reminding me that

I cannot do it all by myself

But that You alone are God

and the only one I should cling to.

Therefore, my soul draws to you,

my pillar and my strength.

To you alone will I run

all the days of my life.

Gbeminiyi Alli 29 ^th July 2010

WRAP

W.R.A.P

(We must Rise And Praise the Lord!)

⁸ Praise our God, all peoples,

let the sound of his praise be heard;

⁹ he has preserved our lives

and kept our feet from slipping.

- Psalm 66:8-9

Why should we rise and praise the Lord?

To wrap him with our praise,

is to adore Him.

To wrap him with our praise,

is to declare His praise like the angels do.

To wrap him with our praise,

is to proclaim that BLESSED be His name.

To wrap him with our praise,

is to thank Him for preserving your life.

To wrap him with our praise,

is to thank Him for keeping your feet from slipping.

To wrap him with our praise,

is to know that His loving kindness is better than life.

To wrap him with our praise,

is to ask for His glory

To wrap him with our praise,

is to seek for mercy

To wrap him with our praise,

is to request for favour

To wrap him with our praise,

is to COMMAND the shower of his blessings

© Gbeminiyi Alli November 2010

LIVING A LIFE THAT COUNTS.

INTRODUCTION - 'THE LETTER'

Dear Friend, 

If cameras were to film every aspect of your life, what would we see? If cameras were to film every aspect of my life, what would you see? If cameras were to film every aspect of our lives, what would be seen?

As I ponder on these questions, I reflect on my life and I realise that living a life that counts goes beyond the special days when I had something  to celebrate or days of outstanding achievements when all glittered and my heart was merry. It goes beyond the happy moments in my life and the goodness of it. 

As a matter of fact, I have since realised that it’s not the moments that matter but each second  of the clock that ticks. Because what you and I choose to do with those seconds is what makes them moments (good, bad or ugly) and the moment  is what determines ‘how’ our life counts.

So, if cameras were to film every aspect of your life, what would we see? How much goodness and impact (no matter how small) would we be able record from your deeds? At the end of it all, how many lives would you have blessed? I bring these questions to you as a reminder that every second and minute of your life, ought to be valued and spent well; for surely, they will be accounted for someday.

However, if like me, you’ve had ugly moments mounted on really bad ones and you wonder if you could ever make an impact with what’s left of your life?  Well, the answer is yes, it’s never too late; you can start NOW, for it’s very important to ensure that every moment of your life, my life and our lives have great value and count in every possible way.

For at the end of it all, when we leave this planet earth – what will matter is whether our lives did count or not? And my life, your life, our lives will be measured, mostly by our deeds. So you and I must begin to make our lives count in every little way. We must simply “Live a life that counts full stop (.)” -  No ‘Buts’, No ‘Commas’ just simply living a life that counts every second, minute and day.

May I ask that you journey with me as I reflect in my newest poem on “Living a Life That Counts.” - I pray it blesses your heart.

                     

Love Always,

Gbeminiyi

LIVING A LIFE THAT COUNTS. - 'THE POEM'                 

To live a life that counts,  

You must not count the days

rather think of ways  

to make each day,

A treasured pay.

For I must tell you,
each day and moment                                                                                                       
You and I live,
is a gift we must not leave. 

So let's start living
and stop leaving                                       
these precious gifts, cause                                                                                                                

we are not sure of the fifth.

Today is what we have;
let's live it, love it and enjoy it.

For like a house being built                                                                          

each day is a foundation                                      

that must be laid.

To live a life that counts
You must walk with God

the giver of life, wisdom
and strength.
Because my brother,
without God,
You and I will be lost 
and soon we will be dust.


To live a life that counts,
You must love
and value yourself,

respect your family.
friends and neighbour.                  

You must plan your time 
and time your plan.
YOu must watch your word,
for they create your world.
You must educate yourself 
and upgrade yourself too.
You must love the Lord 
and the works of His hands

A smile here
and a kind word there
could save tons of heart 
and draw you to the father's heart.
Reach out to others                                                                                                        
with the love of God
and make an impact in their lives.                                                                        

For to live a life that counts, 
You must live a life that shines.                                                                                                                       
                            

© Gbeminiyi Alli August 28, 2010

                      

  

Know Your Life's Vision

						30 Oct 2010
'...called according to His purpose.' Romans 8:28
Nobody can give you a vision for your life, but here's how to find yours.1) Look within you. What moves you? What are you excited about? Paul said, '...I am compelled to preach...' (1 Corinthians 9:16 NIV). 2) Look behind you. What has life taught you? Experience provides us with the wisdom needed to fulfil our destiny. What does your past tell you about your future? 3) Look around you. God never calls us alone. Moses needed 70 elders. Jesus picked 12 disciples. Paul spoke of those who worked with him. Fulfilling your destiny requires having the right people in your life. 4) Look ahead of you. Helen Keller said, 'The only thing that's worse than being blind, is having sight but no vision.' What do you see through the eye of faith? St Augustine said, 'Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of faith is to see what we believe.' 5) Look beside you. What resources are available to you, for example, books, CDs, conferences and mentors? If your vision is not bigger than you, it's not of God. And the greater it is, the more resources it will require. 6) Look above you. Jeremiah writes, '...They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord' (Jeremiah 23:16 NKJV). We are 'called according to His purpose', not according to the need, or the fact that the door is open, or that our talent will be appreciated and well rewarded. Your vision must fulfil your God-ordained destiny, nothing else. So, do you need to recognise your vision, resurrect your vision, or refocus on your vision?

http://www.ucb.co.uk/word_for_today

NEARER THAN THE DOOR

When you are down

and all hope is lost

When you are lost

 and no help is near

When you are weak

and all strength is gone

When you fall

and can not rise

When you are broken

and have no peace

Don’t give up

Neither give in

For there’s one thing

I know for sure,

God’s help

is nearer than the door.

ã Gbeminiyi Alli July 28^th 2010

ALONE NOT ALONE

Alone not alone

we really are not alone

in this lonely world

filled with lonely paths

adorned by thorny roses

and bushes thick with troubles

Alone not alone

we are indeed not alone

in this borrowed world

full of twisted tales

planted in pots of days

and pretty but cruel faces

Alone not alone

we truly are not alone

at least not until

we are all alone

in our final earthly home

six feet under the ground

Alone not alone

we sure are not alone

not until we are all alone,

gripped by the cold hands of death

and made to walk alone

the aisles of the land of no return.

© Gbeminiyi Alli 21^st Feb 2009                                                                                                                            

The Four Lettered Word - Life

At this point of my life,

A lot is happening

around and within me

and it’s so hard to settle

into the 'adult' world

and even so, more difficult, 

to stop revisiting the memories 

of all the days and years gone by,

when the word LIFE

had no strings attached.

But with news such as that of KKs

and even that young lady, 

who lost the battle to cancer

some weeks ago;

I begin to question a lot of things,

wanting to know the whys

and undo the knots of the why nots.

Why do we get so blinded,

by our own webs of life

and not able to nurture friendships,

relationships and all

the way we should or would love to?

But then, once they are gone,

like vapour in the air,

to that faraway land of no return

we cry and mourn,

till our hearts are weak.

Why is it so hard to keep peace

still in our hearts

and even in the world?

Why can’t we tread the grounds,

without fear or apprehension?

All that and even a lot more

is why life to me, is no longer,

simply a four lettered word.

But a strong word with depth

which sends some of us

nodding and travelling miles

in the distance of an instance.

Gbeminiyi Alli 7^th April 2009