Ifedolapo Ogunniyi

(Verse 1)
In the twilight of my days, I find myself in dismay,
A man’s lamentation, I have to convey.
Afraid of old age’s relentless grip,
And the weakening of my once firm tip.

(Chorus)
Oh, the fears that haunt my mind,
As I worry about what I will find.
Will I still possess the vigor of youth,
Or be diminished in strength, I am afraid, in truth?

(Verse 2)
My once mighty sword, now starting to fade,
Aching joints and a slower parade.
No longer able to make love like before,
A hollow feeling, my heart feels sore.

(Bridge)
I am scared of feeling less of a man,
Of losing the prowess that is part of my plan.
Will my wife still desire me as she did,
Or will I become a relic, a shadow I forbid?

(Chorus)
Oh, the fears that haunt my mind,
As I worry ’bout what I will find.
Will I still possess the vigor of youth,
Or be diminished in strength, I am afraid, in truth?

(Verse 3)
I envision my third leg with wrinkles and grey,
A symbol of fading virility on display.
Will I be judged by my diminishing might?
Or will understanding and love shine bright?

(Chorus)
Oh, the fears that haunt my mind,
As I worry about what I will find.
Will I still possess the vigor of youth,
Or be diminished in strength, I am afraid, in truth?

(Outro)
But amidst my fears, I strive to understand,
That strength lies beyond the touch of my hand.
Love, connection, and trust will remain,
And my worth as a man won’t solely be defined by the strain.

For every man faces the passage of time,
And the journey of life, both gentle and sublime.
Dear Men, let us embrace the changes we see,
And cherish the love that forever sets us free.

© Ifedolapo Ogunniyi

Here in a little town called Gibberish, a tale unfolds,
Of a Mad Woman who amuses, as the story goes,
By day, she sleeps, but at night, she makes a sound,
A cacophony that echoes, her madness all around.

Her ramblings and her mutterings, they captivate my mind,
Like she is communing with legions, in a realm undefined,
In the Forest of a Thousand Demons, she finds her retreat,
With tireless fervor, her madness she does repeat.

Through my window, I would gaze, transfixed by her display,
My mother warned me, “Do not be caught in her mad sway,”
But Mama, I am afraid it’s far too late for me,
For I am consumed by her presence, as obsessed as one can be.

I ponder what could have brought her to this frenzied state,
Was it a shattered heart, or a mind’s disarrayed fate?
Her piercing gaze, they say, can drive a soul to despair,
But in her eyes, I see a longing, a longing others cannot bear.

Her garments tattered, the attire of a misfit’s wear,
Yet she wears them with pride, her eccentricities laid bare,
Beside her, a collection of dirt, a testament to her strife,
She carries it all, as if each speck of filth were her life.

At the stroke of midnight, by my window she does stand,
Speaking to her own reflection, and pointing with her hand,
To imaginary friends, she laughs with all her might,
Her dimples shining bright, a glimpse of her pure delight.

And when I peep and wave, she hides her face in shame,
A rainbow-colored visage, her countenance aflame,
Does she blush with embarrassment or fear deep inside?
I cannot tell, but in that moment, my heart takes a wild ride.

Help me, for I am losing my own sanity,
She haunts my every thought, an unyielding calamity,
She invades my mind, even in the midst of a meeting,
This love my mother warned of, now I am truly feeling.

But I cannot profess my love, for the world would disapprove,
My secret affection, I must quietly move,
Yet, each night I yearn for her presence to be near,
Hoping to hold her, to soothe away her fear.

But as the nights go by, she fails to make her appearance,
And I stay awake, consumed by longing and adherence,
Is she safe? Is she well? I am tormented by the unknown,
When will I gather the courage to make my love known?

Oh, the weight of society’s judgment bears down on me,
For a Director to love a Mad Woman, how can it be?
Two days have passed, and she has vanished from my sight,
My heart aches with emptiness, longing for her light.

How can I, a man of reason, be madly in love with madness?
She is the only one who holds my heart in tender gladness,
But the world would not understand, they would never see,
The beauty in her madness that has captured all of me.

I suffer in silence, as my heart grows weak,
Missing her so deeply, I fear I have become sick,
Madly in love with madness, a ballad of despair,
A love that is forbidden, a secret I must bear.

© Ifedolapo Ogunniyi

He said, but what did you say?
Did you let his words lead you astray?
Did you let them chip away your grace,
And let your confidence be erased?

He claimed you were no longer fair,
That childbirth had left you worse for wear,
But my dear, beauty is not defined by shape,
It is the radiance from within that cannot escape.

Did you believe his hurtful lies,
And let them dampen your spirit’s rise?
Did you forget the strength you possess,
And let his words render you helpless?

He said you were no longer the same,
But did you forget your intrinsic flame?
Did you let his discontent consume your mind,
And let his judgment make you blind?

You, my dear, are more than what he sees,
Beyond the surface lies your true expertise.
Your worth does not reside in his gaze,
It is found in your heart’s magnificent maze.

Did you allow his words to break your will,
And let your self-worth falter and spill?
Did you forget the power that lies within,
To rise above his cruel and shallow din?

He said, but what will you say?
Will you let his words dictate your way?
Will you choose to believe in your own light,
And refuse to let his judgments ignite?

Remember, dear one, you are beautifully whole,
With a strength that is imprinted in your soul.
His words may sting, but you hold the key,
To embrace your worth and set yourself free.

Raise your voice above his doubt,
And let your self-love start to sprout.
No longer will you let his words define,
For you are a masterpiece, sublime.

He said, but what will you say?
Will you reclaim your worth today?
Stand tall, my dear, and proudly proclaim,
That your beauty transcends his shallow game.

Motherhood is a blessing
Embrace it with the changes it brings!

© Ifedolapo Ogunniyi

This love story, let punctuation guide,
As commas caress, and question marks confide.
The exclamation mark, with passion, it shouts,
While hyphens connect, and colons lay doubts.

Oh, apostrophe, possessive and true,
Claiming my heart, forever with you.
Parentheses embrace, a tender hold,
Whispering secrets, never to be told.

Quotation marks, a love story they weave,
Enclosing our words, like a gentle reprieve.
Ellipses dance, in a rhythmic sway,
Pausing our moments, extending the play.

Em dash ignites, a fiery spark,
Unifying souls, even in the dark.
Semicolon, a pause and a link,
Binding our love, with a lasting wink.

Question mark wonders, in curiosity,
Exploring the depths of our affinity.
And the period, firm, a final decree,
Sealing our love, for eternity.

Let the punctuation shape our tale,
Each mark expressing, what words often fail.
For love’s language goes beyond the letters,
And finds its voice, in these punctuation treasures.

© Ifedolapo Ogunniyi

In love’s embrace, we wander, side by side,
Two souls entwined, our hearts yearning to share,
Yet in this dance, a chasm does reside,
A gully of silence, tearing at our pair.

For words unspoken form a mighty gulf,
A void that deepens with each passing day,
Communication falters, stumbles, and huffs,
Distance between us growing in dismay.

Oh, let us bridge this rift, this silent hush,
And speak our truths, like rivers to the sea,
For in the absence of words, doubts will rush,
And carve irreconcilable debris.

Let not this gully swallow what we hold dear,
Close the divide, draw near, my love, draw near.

Communication, the lifeline of our love,
With every word, a bridge we can construct,
Embrace the power of words spoken thereof,
And heal the wounds before they self-destruct.

For silence breeds misunderstanding’s seeds,
That sprout into resentment, doubt, and fear,
Our hearts, once intertwined like woven reeds,
Now separate, distant, ever austere.

But let us not forsake the love we have known,
Let us find the strength to talk and truly hear,
In honesty and empathy, we have grown,
Let us cherish what we have, draw near, my dear.

The gully of silence, we must bridge with care,
And close the gap, for love is meant to share.

Let us seize this moment, hand in hand,
And build a bridge of words, strong and secure,
Our hearts shall reconnect, like grains of sand,
And in that union, love shall endure.

No longer far, but close, intimately,
Our souls entwined, in love’s sweet symphony,
Through honest conversations, we shall see,
The power of words that set our spirits free.

For in the end, it is the love we bear,
That fuels our need to close the gap so wide,
Through open hearts and words, we shall repair,
And find the love that once seemed cast aside.

Let us not wait, my love, but start today,
To bridge the gap, and keep our love’s decay.

© Ifedolapo Ogunniyi