Another Wasted Life

At the news my heart shuddered and my blood was curled within me. He did not put on the right uniform. He was at the wrong place and encountered the wrong set of gang. Now he is no more!

What an accurate stab! Some would have thought it was only a joke. The intent was to inflict an injury to teach him a lesson. He should have known better, one of his assailants said to him. His blood shilling pleas for a second chance met with deaf ears.

At the command of the leader, the blow was struck and down he fell with his hands holding his chest as his blood gushed out like a broken pipeline. Scampering feet were all he could hear as he hit the ground. “Help me,” he called out one last time. He felt like he was all alone in the entire world as it closed around him and turned to darkness. Alas! He lay lifeless at the spot where he was last seen.

Don’t spank or hit the child.
Never scold him. Give in to
All his requests. Make him lord of
All situations at home and at school.
Let him yell at his parents if he is ever
Told he could not have his desires when
He wants them. He should never have to
Be useful at anything around the home.
He is only a child and cannot speak for
Himself let alone make decisions.
He could call the social workers
Or police whenever
He felt he could not put up with his parents
Any longer. Lord indeed he has become over
Those who gave him life.

Wait a moment; maybe he could be nurtured and
Taught better life skills and behaviour when he
Finally goes to school! The discovery of his
Manipulative skills made him shine and succeeded
In having his way even at school.
His teachers watch in appalling disgust
As he progressed from one mischief
To the other. Other learners were discriminated
Against to make room for him to have his ways
At all times. He must never be told off for
Being bad. He must be spoken to nicely and
Politely with the magic words in the right
And at the right time. He, on the other hand,
Must be given heed to and he could be rude
To any one all the time. He hit other learners
And distract them from learning as he is not
Ready to learn. Nothing could be done
To get through to him. Having terrorised,
Bullied and endangered teachers and his
Peers for every year he spent at school,

He finally passes out.
Today, he is the head of a set of boys
That is into all sorts of incredible
Activities ranging from raping girls,
Snatching and picking people’s
Belongings, breaking into homes,
Harassing passengers on buses and
Trains, to peddling and consuming
Drugs. He has only recently added to
His credentials ability to strike dead
Anyone who happens to be unlucky
With a knife. His latest victim didn’t
His eleventh one and still counting.
When will it all end? How shall it end?

I do not know and cannot tell. Our hope
Is that neither we nor our loved ones fall
Prey to one of such empowered species
We are daily exposed to.



© Joy Ozono
July 2008

The Woman in Charge

I stood in the midst of other people;
But I felt so all alone.
Their silent stares told volumes.
None among them made any attempt
To come towards me not to mention
Utter a word to me.

Those who were once my bosom pals
With whom I ate, spent weekends,
Went shopping and on holidays,
Gossiped and told stories, all
Suddenly are strangers to me.

The ones who very much as looked
In my direction, gazed either with
Disdain, mockery, anger, jealousy or pity.
I could see them having fun as they
Shared jokes on various subjects,
And their cheerful laughter rang out
To send eerie chills to my bones.

These were the very people who
Cheered me on as I worked to
Become the first lady. Why then
Have they turned against me?
Where and how did I wrong them?
What could my unpardonable sin
Be? Could I ever get them to accept
Me again?

Misfit is the apt term to describe
How I feel when I am with the
New people in my life now.
I love the attention and the applause
I am given wherever I go to.
Being the number one woman
Makes me feel in control.
Nevertheless, without familiar faces
To share my stardom with, it feels
Meaningless and empty to me.

Deep within me, I know this is not
Who I am. I could not fathom how
I lost my precious friends.
This office I now hold comes with, and
Demands way too much from me.
Could this be a picture or forecast of
The rest of my life without a friend?
Why do I have to be saddled with
The hassles of finding new friends
At this stage of my life?

Everyone who comes in contact now
Could only do so after waiting for
Longer then anyone would believe;
And they always often
Tended to only want to say a hasty
Greeting before hurrying away.
Why do people find it an arduous
Task to speak with me these days?

I find myself alone most
If not all the time these days.
My only company have been
Reduced to a frightful few
Whose sole duty is to keep off
The very people whose company
I tacitly crave to, and definitely
Wish to be in.

Echo of my thoughts
Reverts all around my
Palatial new home.
Not even there,
Do I find comfort?
Yes, this is what I wanted;
A huge mansion with my
Prince charming to share it.
Why then don’t I feel fulfilled?
Is there a way by which I
Could change the status quo??????

This is it!!! I found the answer!
I know just what to do! Hurrah!!
People don’t have to be kept
Away from me. They don’t have
To wait for days, weeks or months
And possibly years as was the case
To meet with me.
I will call off my protocol
Bodyguard team. I will replace
Them with a more friendly,
Warm and outgoing fellow who
Would simply help to direct my
People to where they can meet
With me whenever they felt the
Need to.


I feel so elated and happy already
From thoughts of having
People approach me freely
Once again as was the case
Before my overrated office.

I see all the lost friends return
And many new and genuine ones
That will be found.
This, I think, is how things
Ought to be if I am to be a
Proper woman in charge
As well as being
The PASTOR’S WIFE.


© Joy Ozono
June 2008

Daddy

The dad we don’t want to have
To some he is the loud voice
That brings them back to order.
He could be a drunk, irresponsible
Indolent, wicked and the bully to
Remember forever.
What about the one who abuses
His wife and children?
He is loud, irritating and intolerant.

Could he be the one who was always
Absent only to show up on certain
Occasions? ‘Was he ever there?’
Another might ask.
All thoughts of him was those scary
Moments when death could have been
Best welcomed.

The Dad we have and can never replace.
How about the lone and constant
Cheerleader who never gave up even
When everyone else had given up?
He stood by and provided to help
us on our way.
He was the hardworking father
Who toiled both day and night to give
His family food, shelter and warmth.

He showed the kids the way to the
One true God simply by his shining
Exemplary life. To him All the hurts,
Frustrations and mistakes experienced by
His children were mere springboards
To greater achievements in life.
He is a gentle, loving, and quiet
Believer in his children’s inabilities
Not minding their obvious weakness.

Nothing held back, the family altar
Was a place of reality. He stood as
Worthy priest daily bringing God’s
Word to his forbears.
His words were always comfort.
A more worthy father who can find?

This day is set aside to honour you.
Nothing, absolutely, nothing could
Be compared to you. No matter how
We try, we can never repay you.
Our upright lives and varied successes
Are the loudest accolades you so rightly
Deserve. Relax, sit back and relish the
Fruit of all your labour.
You are our pride. God bless you.
We salute your greatness.
We love you. Many hearty cheers to
A well deserving Dad!!!


© Joy Ozono
June 2008

When It's the Other Fellow

When the other fellow acts a certain way, he is "ill-tempered". When you do it, it is "nerves."
When the other fellow is set in his ways, he's "stuborn", when you are, it is just "firmness."
When the other fellow does not like your friends, he is "predjudiced", when you don't like his, you are simply showing that you are "a good judge of human nature."

When the other fellow tries to treat someone especially well, he is "flatterer", when you try the same thing, you are using "tact."

When the other fellow dresses extra well, he is proud: when you do, it is simply "a duty one owes to society."
When the other fellow says what he thinks, he is "spiteful", when you do, you are "frank."
When the other fellow denounces your faults, he is throwing clubs; when you denouce his, you are just uncovering his sins.
When the other fellow disagrees with you, he is carnal; when he agrees with you, he has a sweet disposition.
When the other fellow does not approve the one you picked, well the church is in a bad condition; when you don't approve of the one he picked, he has very poor judgment.
When the other fellow sees omething differently than you do, he is off the track; when you do, it is just wisdom.
When the other fellow fellow gets stirred up or gets his feelings hurt, he is carnal when you do, you are just hurt.
When you think you can read the other fellow's face, you don't forget that he can read yours just as easily.
When you think the other fellow gives you a cold handshake, it could be that you have a feeling worked up towards that person that it is just the coldness in your own heart that you feel.
There is surely a great diffeence when we look at the other fellow, but if we could see what the other fellow sees, when he looks at you, no doubt you would not be so quick to criticize or judge the other fellow.
You cannot see your won faults and shortcomings, while in others you see the fault in its native ugliness, intensified by its unpleasant effects.

Your own faults come so natural and fit right in with your disposition, while the unaccustomed faults of others grate upon your mind. About the hardest part of correcting your own faults is finding them.

An acient writer sid that people carry faults in two bags: one containing their own faults is slung behind them out of sight, while the other, holding their neighor's faults, is borne in front, even in sight, and often counted.

Ten thousand faults in my meighbor should be less consequence to me than one of the smallest in myself. "He who lives in a glass house should throw no stones." Thee are two kins of critics: those who complain that the rose has a thorn and those who are grateful that the thorn has a rose. God grant that we may be of the latter kind.

One

One Song can spark a Moment.
One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest.
One bird can herald Spring.
One smile begins a frendship.
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea.
One word can frame the goal.
One vote can change a nation.
One sunbeam lights a room.
One candle wipes out darkness.
One laugh will conquer gloom.
One step must start each journey.
One word must start a prayer.
One hope will raise our spirts.
One touch can show you care.
One voice can speak with wisdom.
One heart can know what is true.
One life can make a difference.

Unknow Author.....

Christ

CHRIST IS THE WAY - men without Him are like Cain, wanderers and vagabonds.

CHRIST IS THE TRUTH - men without Him are held in the clutches of sin, deceived by the devil

CHRIST IS THE LIGHT - men without Him walk in darkness and know not whither they go

CHRIST IS THE LIFE- men without Him are dead in trespasses and sin

CHRIST IS THE VINE - men who are not in Him are withered branches prepared for the fire

CHRIST IS THE ROCK - men not built on Him are carried away by the flood of judgment.

O BLESSED CHRIST, how much better would it not to be, than to be without Thee!


TAKEN from the gospel trumpters!

WoW

I finally did it and am here!

Watch out peeps! this blog will be a blast!