The Proposal
It felt like A Proposal
Or a forum of feelings
Dancing in circles in a passionate park
There was romance by the fountains
And voices that echoed
Within the warmth of the naked winds
And slowly
The air became filled with little flames
Her eyes lit up with warmth
And the conscience of the moon gazed before us
And blessed the night with a signal
This signal gave birth to a homely intuition
Where all that mattered was Love
PICTURES AND SHADOWS
A day before our meeting
I sat in our room and lit a candle
And when I slept
I dreamt of pictures and shadows
Pictures painted with subtle smiles and mellow voices
Shadows spelt but fading from a distance
I dreamt of the passion in your palms
And the sweetness of a trance
Of messages printed in the wind
But waiting to be shared
And statements, and signals
Prompted by the very eyes of two strangers
A day before our meeting
I sat in our room and lit a candle
Lying beneath the warmth of the naked wind
One Moment of Peace
Every substance is intact
Living through a sequence of peace
Every movement captured
By the raw feelings of self-assurance
I am as calm as the stream
Blessed with beauty and still waters
I shall breathe like a King
Despite the mystery from the grey storm
And trace the pictures of my dreams.
Every seed is intact
Bones that have felt many places
Coloured with stories untold
Freedom is a home and not a prison
With many more songs and voices
Every substance…
Every Moment…
And if you listen carefully
One Moment of Peace
SUSPENSE IN THE RAIN
One warm night
Before it rained
My soul felt your body
Then felt the pain
Of cold distant secrets
Floating in the dark
And a subtle flame
That had lost its spark
One warm night
Before today
I discovered a season
Again and again
Of a gentle voice in a naked room
Undressing in silence
But sleeping too soon
One warm night
And many more nights
Thoughts dressed in feelings
A special delight
The season has started
Before the game
My body is aching
To feel the rain
The Void
The Void has been empty for seasons
Lacking in space and colour
The brain has become a desert
Drained by shallow strangers
The music of the day has started
Cold courtesy and patterned conversation
And eyes that shift when you turn your back
Into a new house of secrets
The Void danced around the room
Still lacking in space and colour
It crept into the depths of a forgotten home
And found the picture of its puzzle
The Void found light
The Void found love
The Void found space
The Void found colour
The Void found beauty that sat within the pages of a rainbow
Music that bounced through the mystery of the streets
The Void found Strength, Mystery, Sadness, Joy, Contradictions, Courage and Pain
And when it had found its album
That Void became Poetry
Our Son has come home
Our son has come home
From the lost battles in a foreign land
Where the snow has choked the night
Through the bitter streets of loneliness
Our son has lost his head
And forgotten to walk with grace
He paces round the room
Dressed in doomed disgrace
What was fire has now become water
What was rich has now become poor
Our son has forgotten to dance
Like the noble masquerade of the fire forest
Our son has forgotten to dance, and pray and sing
Through troubled moments
He has been poisoned in his sleep
By a group of Gentlemen
Our son has forgotten to be…
An African
It is Tuesday the 16th of October 2012, my Guest for the evening is Mr Akin Salami, The CEO of OH TV. OH TV is an ethical channel in the entertainment genre on Sky 199.
It was a cold still evening and I was looking forward to engage my guest on some community issues and the OHTV brand as part of The Black History Month Celebrations
It was the first time I was going to meet him in person and when the door bell rang, I was instantly overwhelmed by his simplicity,warmth and humility
I had watched OHTV in the last few years and I was quite impresed with the content of the programmes and the quality and depth of educational entertainment.
I was curious to know more about Mr salami, his background and what motivated him to start up a lucrative profound initiative.
Mr Salami told me that he had a passion for technology and a drive to motivate and inspire young people in the community and from the moment he started talking i saw the passion and drive for life all written in his eyes- he spoke from the heart.
He explained to me that he did not have a TV background and had studied Mechanical engineering at The Obafemi Awolowo University many years ago.
He had tried to set up a business in the past in The Gambia which did not exactly go according to plan but he later discovered that the there was a need for TV in the community, but something more than a need- a message and a story to deliver and the importance of filling a gap – so when his creative side unfolded, the rest was history.
We also spoke about the purpose and the significance of engaging the mindsets of the youth within our community and the approach OHTV adopted in empowering and inspiring the minds of the leaders of tomorrow and Mr Saami explained that OHTV as a brand, was doing quite a lot to set the pace for young peope in our society.
Mr Salami is a very passionate man with big dreams and a natural drive to create, showcase and deliver
His thoughts on Back History Month were very clear – it was a month to celebrate the achievements of Black people and create more understanding and togetherness within our communities.
Mr Salami spends his spare time with his family and three children and also takes time to take part in church activities.
OHTV is an ethical channel in the entertainment genre. It can be found on Sky Channel 199
It is Tuesday the 2nd of October 2012 and it is my first Black History Month Show for the year on AFRICA4U RADIO SHOW – The Radio Show for Africans around the world.
My Guest for the evening is Pauline long- The Founder of The Beffta Awards, The Beffta Brand and Beffta TV,
She is also The Founder of Mr East Africa UK, Miss East Africa UK and The Owner of Pauline long daily motivation.
It wa going to be the first time I was going to meet her properly in person and I had still not recovered from a long weekend in Yorkshire.
I had attended The BEFFTA AWARDS Press launch over a week ago in Mayfair and was impressed with the great work Pauline was doing in the community. Beffta stands for Black Entertainment Film Fashion Television and Arts Awards
I could sense it was going to be an inspirational evening, especially for my many listeners from around the world.
Every week, many people from around the world listen to Africa4U Radio Show from London, Reading, Lagos, Abuja, Toronto and the States.
The feeling became more intuitive when Pauline walked through the door – she had a very graceful and appealing presence which was sincere and positively refreshing.
Pauline spoke of her childhood, her upbringing and the spirit of community love whilst growing up. Although moving to the Uk, was a totally different cultural experience from what she was used too, she was quick to point out that setting up Mr East Africa and Miss East Africa UK for the very first time, was an opportunity to connect with people and establish a presence which people could identify with .
She spoke about value, appreciation and the importance of recognising the great work of people and positive achievers, in her own words, it is important to give your brother or sister a pat on the back for the efforts they make in a far away land. In no time, I was able to see, why she set up the Beffta Awards,- an initiative she currently manages and which is fast becoming a brand for hard working Role models doing their little bit to make a difference to society.
Pauline believes in connecting with real people in the real world and is also involved in managing projects aimed at supporting the under priveeged children of Africa.
Her gentle and positive warm spirit is a testimony to the fact that there are wonderful African Role models out there who are naturally determined to not only feed the world with love, but set the pace for a better tomorrow
On Tuesday the 2nd of October at 6pm, I interview Pauline Long – The Founder of The Beffta Awards (as part of The Black History Month Celebrations). She will be on air to talk about herself, her background, her initiatives and the build up towards THE BEFFTA AWARDS.
On Tuesday the 9th of October, I will be interviewing Jacqueline Wabara – The Founder of Miss Nubian Foundation- She will be on air discussing the reasons why commemorating Black History Paramount and why as Black People we are no longer regarded as Ethnicity Minorities as our achievements to date are in the Majority. She will also be discussing the build up towards her Black History Month Event.
On Tuesday the 23rd of October, I will have a History Show on Africa4u with two good friends as guests who will be on air to discuss African History.
Mr Ebele Obumselu will be discussing the impact of returned slaves in West Africa and Mr Derek Dziva will be discussing the very first uprising in Zimbabwe as part of The Chimurenge renaissance
On Tuesday the 30th of October- we have a surprise show- so I will l keep you guessing till the end of October.
If there is a project or initiative you wish to share as part of Black History Month feel free to give me a ring on 07882809005
I will also keep you posted with regards to Black History Month Events taking place in Reading
log on to AFRICA4U RADIO show, every tuesday at 6pm, log on towww.reading4u.co.uk
Tony is a Published Writer, Public Speaker, Social Media Planner, Mentor and Radio Presenter
TONY TOKUNBO ETEKA FERNANDEZ 