My Love

A unique collection of love poetry

Wordjar
publishing
 Published in 2011 by Wordjar Publishing

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission
from the publisher except for the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Wordjarpublishing@gmail.com

Wordjar Publishing. London

Edited by: Angie Nwokedi (Wordjar Publishing)

Illustrated and designed by: Kelvin Akposoe (Wordjar publishing)

 CONTENTS

3 Preface
5 Chaleboy
6 “Play On”
7 Rae Twumasi
8 “Brown Eyes and Apple Pies”
9 Angie Nwokedi
10 “Love in Flight”
11 Lyrical Love
12 “The Poetic Beat You Hear My Heart Sings”
13 Jadean Johnson
14 “Epiphany: Untitled”
15 Suli Breaks
16 “Love On The Underground”
18 Ezekiel The Poet
19 “Black Rose”
20 Catherine The Poet
21 “Untitled”
23 Francis Xavier Labiran
24 “Grey Rose”
 My Love

What is love? Can it be defined by the simple terminologies given to us by diction-

aries? Perhaps it is a strong feeling of affection between two lovers, where they feel
that they could not live without each-other. A mother’s love for their child where
they would lay their lives on the line for them. Or maybe even the love of a believer
for their God, where they follow in blind faith. We all have our own interpretations
of what we call Love and how we express it and that is what inspired the title of this
book, ‘My Love’.

When I rounded up the poets that are featured in this book, the instructions I gave
them was simple ‘’ The purpose of this project is to create a book that produces vary-
ing views on the theme of love, each beautiful in its expression. There are no limits to
the piece you are producing, let the only barrier be your own imagination, and even
then shatter it. The idea is to let your piece reflect love as you see it, not as friends,
family, your pastor or anyone else sees it, this is about you.’’
I did not want to receive a bunch of love poems each talking about how ‘’her eyes re-
semble the sunrise’’, no I wanted to obtain a spectrum of interpretations.

I then went on the search to find a blend of writers that could express the various
views of love through their poetry. Despite the temptation to handpick poets so that
I would acquire this range, I decided to open up this opportunity to everybody and
let fate take control. Many poets answered my call, but only nine (myself included)
of them saw the project through to the very end and where therefore included in this
anthology:

Suli Breaks
Lyrical Love
Angie Nwokedi
Rae Twumasi
Chaleboy
Ezekiel the Poet
Jadean Johnson
Francis Xavier Labiran
Catherine Labiran

Each of these writers contributed their own unique style to the book, and on the behalf
of Wordjar publishing, I would like to thank you all for your efforts.

Francis Xavier Labiran

Founder - Wordjar publishing

3
MY LOVE
 CHALEBOY
Legal Name: Benjamin Bennett

www.wordswisdomworld.wordpress.com

www.youtube.com/chaleboythepoet

www.facebook.com/chaleboythepoet

Chaleboy sums himself up in one line: “I’m a psalmist, lyricist, spoken word artist,
whatever you want to call it; poetry is where the art is.” Inspired by his strong faith in
Christianity, life and his vast imagination, Chaleboy can portray his pieces in humor-
ous, thought provoking and perplexing ways, without losing the art of poetry.
The nickname “Chaleboy” was assigned because of his patriotic Ghanaian nature,
which occasionally shows through his spoken word. Chaleboy has appeared on Love-
world TV, and performed for numerous universities up and down the UK, as well as
showcases and churches across London.

5
 Play On

The music stopped,

So I told her to play on.
Feminine fingers manipulated the blacks and the whites.
Her music was a prejudiced sound,
Because it only aimed to intoxicate my hearing,
And mine alone.
She sat on the chair she called her ‘musical throne’
And threw treble clefs at me
Only the King could condone.
Then the music stopped,
So I told her to play on.
Play me a love song
With a neo-soul vibe
So I can provide
Poetic words to coincide.
I made her
Play that Major
That made the
Hair on my skin rise
And send shivers where my spine lies.
Time flies
As every second
Her eyes lie
On me.
Each pupil dances to the truth in her music.
The chords swore an oath to me.
Prolonged their decree
As her slender foot pressed down on the pedal.
Even when she pressed sharp notes,
She was still tender.
If her hands touched my skin
What sound would it render?
I gazed at this pianist in all of her splendour.
Her natural glow was subtle.
A flickering womanly ember.
Burning
And yearning
For something harmonic.
But then the music stopped.
So I told her to play on.

Chaleboy
 RAE TWUMASI
Legal Name: Arnoldine Rachael Twumasi

Twitter.com/RaeTwumasi

Rachael, a 3rd year Law Student at the University of Birmingham, hails from North
West London where she was born and raised. She has dabbled in writing for many
years and after over a decade of shyness has developed an odd desire for constructive
criticism of her work. She currently writes for her website [www.afrocenchix.com] as
well as for the blog of the Birmingham Debating Society (of which she is President)
and other blogs in a more fact based context. Her journeys into the world of poetry
and fantasy are generally triggered by procrastination from her degree, and as such are
largely incomplete - with reality always winning the fight for her attention. Rachael is
interested in developing as a poet and would love you to tweet feedback at her, she
may even give you a peek of her novels in progress if you’re lucky.

7
Brown Eyes and Apple Pies

All we need is our eyes.

For sharing hours of knowing glances,
locked in stares which feel like minutes - pass like hours.

And maybe our lips.

To whisper our deepest desires,
promising one another that we can only ever go higher.

Perhaps too our hands.

To compare. To share. Your fingers locked in mine,
soft squeezes say you couldn’t ever find peace elsewhere.

We may need our ears.

To catch the beat of our hearts in synch with the gorgeously genuine tone of our words
dancing through the small space between us.

And our noses.

To rub together half jokingly, caught up in the shared breath we inhale;
as my scent and yours mingle - we heavily exhale.
All we need is each other; life best experienced through one another.
Our connection transcending all we know.
Our senses facilitating the understanding of our love.
Our experience no less strong when deprived of any senses.
Those pangs unfulfilling expressed through sighs and gentle kisses.
And although earthly things will falter with time.
Chapped hands. Tight lips. Blocked nosed. Closed ears. Teary eyes...
I’ll always be here to bake you an apple pie.

Rae Twumasi

8
 ANGIE NWOKEDI
Legal Name: Angela Nwokedi

www.blacksheep10.blogspot.com

Angie is currently an editor for Wordjar publishing and has three novels in the works.
She is a 20 year old student on a biomedical science course. Her debut poetry collec-
tion is due to be published in August. She has also dabbled in song writing and has a
very diverse collection of works. Angie has directed two drama productions includ-
ing a new take on “A Christmas Carol” and “The Wind in the Willows”, She is also
Interested in play writing and directing. Her ambition for the future is to help younger
generations to focus and fine-tune their talents as well as becoming an established and
respected author and all round achiever. In the near future however as seen above she
will be producing her first play that she herself has written. Angie sees poetry as an
outlet as well as second nature. It allows her to feel a connection to her environment
and portray her emotions in a colourful manner.

9
 Love In Flight

Carry me on tethered wings,

Take me through to happy things.
Move along the road, a diamond in the rough.
Approach me in shadows clear and
Briefly stroke my hair.
Roll around in the sands of time and
Take me where waters flow by.
Walk me through the valley of the shadow and
Judge me
Watch me. Linger.
I love you, maybe

Carry me with the passion of Christ,

Love me with the passion that never dies but
Hold me like tomorrow never lies and
Teach me to watch whatever’s in your eyes.
I love you, possibly

I see you stare back at me like I go to war and you know my fate.
Smell the air, scents are moving,
Love me, dote on me and
If I feel y. o. u make sure you feel me to.
Love me from genesis to revelations but
Remember the psalm that comes with my beauty and
Skim through Exodus like you skim through my sins.
I love you, fondly.

I carry the pain of a thousand widows

But I need a window to throw my hate
I justify my actions while aiming my weapon at your heart.
A gun with no bullets so your heart remains mine
I need to hold you like your dying
And feel the dread of those dead.
I love you, sadly.

You climb the highest mountains for me and

I watch you tumble
I watch you hurt
At least now I know
At least now I’m sure
I love you, you love me too.

Angie Nwokedi
 LYRICAL LOVE
Legal Name: Abena Adina Elliott

lyrical-love-xoxox.blogspot.com

“Poetry is a passion, a love, a burning desire that takes over like a wildfire ripping
through a forgotten forest. It goes beyond just putting pen to paper.” For Abena Elliott,
Poetry is a gate that opens up and urges her to observe her surroundings, take note of
the experience and write it down for others to read as if they were watching the scene
that had affected her heart, her life or the lives of those around her. Love is one of
those experiences that will forever be dominant and we experience it in so many ways,
every single day whether it is platonic, romantic or spiritual. Unrequited or destructive,
but for this book, Abena Elliott, 20 years of age, from a small place called Northamp-
ton, dedicates one of her romantic poems that she hopes many of you can relate to
and enjoy the beauty that love can bring.

11
 The Poetic Beat You Hear My Heart Sing

The poetic beat you hear my heart sing,

Representing the joy, two magpies could bring,
For in you crept and beautifully stole,
The strongest defence known to ones soul,
Neither was it violent and neither was it cold,
Down came the barriers and in came the call,
Just a peaceful allegiance, to me cupid told.
So here I stand, at the edge of the sea,
Diving in deeper than the fear within me
Delivering this message and my key,
Just so you can release the lock within me.

Lyrical Love

12
 JADEAN JOHNSON
Legal Name: Jadean Johnson

Coming from a creative background in photography and drawing, Jadean only recently
came to appreciate the value of poetry and its ability to expand a person’s awareness
of the beauty – and tragedy – around them.

Inspired from a recent period of emotional confusion in the name of ‘’love’’, Jadean’s
first poem, Epiphany: Untitled, received its fair share of positive feedback. Encouraged
by this, and still drawing inspiration from being a ‘’victim’’ of love’s whims, Jadean has
gone on to write several more poems, with plans of having them published in the near
future.

At present, Jadean focuses his poetry upon a peculiar truth. That at some point in every
person’s life, to varying degrees, they will encounter regrets and beliefs of within the
pattern of ‘’...would have; could have; should have’’. Representing the theme of missed
opportunity, these contemplations are universal, and Jadean is set on exploring how
this is influenced by the common feelings of love, loss, hope and guilt.

13
Epiphany: Untitled

And deep realisation sinks in: his wavering to tether her to his heart with either love or
friendship will surely set her adrift into the harbour of another.

And urgency washes over him.

‘’Is it too late?’’

He turns sharply. He needs to gaze her eyes again...

But the sun is strong.

And dread drowns him during his temporary blindness.

‘’Is she still near?’’

His momentary helplessness fades...

Jadean Johnson

14
 SULI BREAKS
Legal Name: Suli Amoako

www.sulibreaks.com

Youtube.com/sulibreezy

Twitter.com/sulibreaks

Hailing from North London, Wood Green, originally of Ghanaian descent, Suli Breaks
uses his poetry to bridge gaps, engaging the youths while also educating those who are
not familiar with the London culture. Suli Breaks poetry is something which has to be
seen, to understand how he uses his creativity and uncanny ability with words to bring
poetry to life as it has never been done before. Suli Breaks poetry is not limited to the
stage, he uses a vast array of mediums from visual to audio, displaying them all in his
debut DVD “Poetry Is Kool!!?!?!”His accolades include:
• Featured on BBC ONE London 8pm News.
• Performances at over 40 universities all over the UK,
• 2ND place in the national UK Farrago Slam Championships 2009
• Featured in numerous publications such as national newspaper The Voice.
• As well as forerunning urban material Flavour magazine.
• Has been featured numerous times on Sky TV on Voxafrica channel, Sky channel 203
and Sky Community Channel
• Finalist in National competition Universities Got Talent 2009
• Participated in the “Yes We Can Tour” which featured Eddie Kadi and So Solid’s Swiss.
• Performed at live shows with the likes of Britain’s Got Talent’s Flawless, UK rapper SWAY.
• Performances at UK prominent theatres such as, Camden Roundhouse and the Hammersmith
Lyric Theatre.

15
 Readers are advised to get a London Underground tube map before proceeding.

LOVE ON THE UNDERGROUND

I feel in love with this girl on the underground.

You resemble an ANGEL.

I been in love before but that was the old me,
but with you I can feel myself going back down that OLD STREET.
I ain’t got that much in the BANK,
But your MONUMENT of beauty.
I don’t just chase anything in a mini skirt and lipstick,
my dick’s strict,
That’s when she giggled, that’s I know I’m doing fine, because all girls laugh at the
“dick strict” Line.

Then I followed her on to the district line,

Girl, your messing with my TEMPLE.
I want to treat you the QUEENSWAY,
So I may I call you VICTORIA.
We can live in a house with a GREEN PARK,
On a GOODGE STREET,
Where you can leave the window wide open,
Where the sun shines so bright, that you can feel the “HOL-BURN”
You in my life is essential, right,
And I’m not saying this from the bottom of my heart,
But the center.
So it may not be the bottom line, but it’s more like a CENTRAL LINE,
I was whisk you from you ALDGATE,
To a WHITECHAPEL.
Forget that, I mean the mosque in Whitechapel.
And I no I’m a little POPULAR,
so girls love to talk.
But I can ignore them all,
I can be like a BLACKWALL.
And I know the train ain’t the place to be discussing this now,
So how bout we get off next stop,
because we CANNING TOWN.
Will you be my ROYAL VICTORIA
Or my princess even, then you can elevate my status from the pauper into the PRINCE
REGENT.
Your caught up in my system like a virus,
How about we go on holiday to CYPRUS,
because were only one stop from LONDON CITY AIRPORT.
I BECKTON you to cum with me!!
 Beckon? Beckton!?! That don’t make no sense,
But anyway that’s the end of that line,

But please follow me back to WOOD GREEN

And I’m just following the last few stations,
In general conversation.
So please ignore any implications or sexual connotations,
My boi, Ayo showed me this, so it should be in quotations.

But how bout you show me your ARNOS GROVE.

Open my SOUTHGATE,
Where you may find my OAKWOOD
And you can relax at COCKFOSTERS....

Suli Breaks

17
EZEKIEL THE POET
Legal Name: Khabir Seyi Noibi

www.facebook.com/people/Ezekiel-Seyi-Ezikiboy-Noibi/1190312283

Twitter.com/EzekielThePoet

Ezekiel describes himself as follows ‘’I’m a young guy but I’ve been passionate about
poetry, performing arts and music for a long time.’’ He started out singing and song-
writing, which then evolved into poetry and he has been performing for about two
years. He love’s where words and vocabulary can take him and the imagination is lim-
itless. He is a creative person and loves unveiling the emotions that men often ignore
or simply do not talk about. He plans to take his talents to the big stage.

18
 Black Rose

Because my heart’s not red it’s been darkened by all the upset
Nobody’ll ever know my sorrow
I kept clutching at straws thinking that what I loved today was promised tomorrow
But all I can do now is miss you
Where the vacant space in my heart is now all I crave is you
But sadly all I’m left with is this scar tissue trying to close the wound
How could I have been a fool to think Romance was alive
Fell victim to your deceit, you’re so conniving
Never anticipated a goodbye but you throw up the deuce sign
And I responded too late. Now I’m stuck in this place looking for a means of escape
And I bet you’re laughing it off in some faraway place
Pricked me with your thorns
Disguised around the stem attached to the rose. You.
I never usually get so close but I thought I had no need to put my defences up in this
scenario
You shone like Gold but I was blind, it was only Gold-plating that just glittered a little
too bright
I was so excited thinking I had one of the rarest red roses in the field but it turned out to
be a black hole
That sucked the life out of me
You, Black Rose
How could you be so cold- how does it feel to know that you caused me to give up hope
on love
Depressed. Angry. Frustrated. Melancholy
All I asked from you was to hold me
But you had other things on your mind
That, in time, I found out the hard way
Remember Valentine’s Day? Well Its Black Rose Day
Left with the emptiness on the inside of my heart
And an endless pain fused with slow sense of decay

Ezekiel The Poet

 CATHERINE LABIRAN

Legal Name: Catherine Labiran

Twitter.com/CatherinePOET

Catherine Labiran is a spoken word/ performance poet. She enjoys using wordplay,
figurative language and vivid imagery to encapsulate her ideas. She describes poetry
as an exhale and an inhale at the same time. It allows her to vent emotions, as well as
take in moments. Even though she has only just begun performing it has completely
revolutionised her thoughts and expanded her dreams. Catherine is more of a modern
urban artist, but is still greatly inspired by the classic poets such as Carol Ann Duffy.

20
UNTITLED

You were perfection personified.

Your promises made my eyes glitter, flitter fluctuations of future. We held hands,
handled things.

I stood there between the blurs of life that impaired us with their fast pace, no time to
waste, money to make antics, frantic and hair-raising, from when we wake – self-raising.

Till when we slept on flower beds of roses.

They pricked drew blood, we shrugged shoulders.

Stay out of the kitchen if you can’t stand the smoulder.

Times grew colder, discovered heat beneath the sheets, ammunition tucked under the
mattress, madness, cupid’s arrows, coloured like sparrows.

My arms stretched, crucifixion for you, fixation on the mirrors of miracle reflected in the
minor things you do.

Like when you laugh at jokeless jokes, fake chuckles, emotionless eyes shifting, twisting
in chair, like it was the joke of the year.

Or when you actually found something funny and your laughs grew louder, broke into
snorts, till you’re folded at waist, went red in face.

You were a mess, but you did mess best.

A mess with moist palms, I was there to massage messages of serenity so the lines on
your palm would grow deeper.

Love grew steeper.

You allowed me to taste the freedom of skiing down slopes or tight-roping with high-
hopes or reading prediction-less fiction you gave me more than butterflies, you gave jet
planes.

Tattooing my name on pleased clouds I bounced on them like sunshine going down.
Even the turbulence had a nice feel to it, a nice real to it.

21
I grew a strong tongue from screaming. But an even stronger heart for waking up entan-
gled in you and thinking that I’m dreaming.

Gazing, glazing covers, creating windows, stop the wind blow, gazing lovers.

I stared at you through the knotted kinks in my hair, that’s how we spent valentines every
year,
Materialism faded into toneless shades.

We were toneless as we gazed.

Bound to loves maze,

taking baby steps trying to be discreet with big feet, because we didn’t know what’s
around the corner, but every adventure was splendour.

Sugar to our tongues.

Now all I taste is salt tears,

fears of not holding you near have shaped, my arms strain, stretched across the ocean,
pathetic potions of emails and phone calls cannot substitute for affection , there’s no
wireless connection, wired my heart, let it pulsate currents of patience for you this val-
entines. Let me clasp my hands and wait for you to me mine, dream of that knock on the
door, from my eternal valentine, no arms full of roses, arms full of me.

You’d promised you’d never leave,

my eyes still glitter,
flitter,
fluctuations of future,
and you’ll come back.

Because you are perfection personified.

Catherine Labiran

22
FRANCIS XAVIER LABIRAN

Legal Name: Francis Xavier Labiran

www.fxlrevolution.wordpress.com

Twitter.com/FXL_REVOLUTION

Youtube.com/FXLPOET

As a young man that grew up in three continents, Francis did not discover poetry until
a man he describes as ‘’the most influential teacher in his life’’ submerged him into the
world of the imagination. 5 years on and the self proclaimed ‘Revolutionary Word Art-
ist’ has begun to develop a unique portfolio of work. He has gone from publishing his
poetry on blogs to performing them live, to bring his work to the attention of a wider
demographic. Heavily inspired by the themes of Love, Religion, Politics and Revolu-
tionary ideologies, his work uses vivid imagery to illustrate his point of view and leave
an impression in the minds of his audience. He attributes his ability to create such art
to God, and he thanks him for giving him the medium to express himself.

23
GREY ROSE

Why do you bloom?

Out of season
And under the silver light of the moon.
Out of sync with your type
Tonight

Your red petals bow to the stars,

Wrapping themselves around your mocha stem,
Swaying to and fro about your roots.

Yet there is no breeze

Only you and me
Controlled by the tempo
Like words to the beat
Heart to heart
Your chest against mine
As we salsa, flamenco, foxtrot,
Bump and grind
To the music played by the planets,
Whispered by the winds,
then echoed through our souls.

And our souls,

Becomes our soul.
As we harmonize our spirits,
Through the song, the dance, our love.

I am in love with a rose.

And every now and then,
I cultivate her neatly
Careful never to damage her stem.
And there is no comfort in the world,
Like the feeling i get,
When i kiss her lips and taste her nectar
That has all the bees buzzing.

Yet she only opens her petals,

To let me taste.

I am in love with a flower

Francis Xavier Labiran

24
 Wordjar Publishing
Wordjar publishing is an innovative publishing organisation that’s prides itself on creat-
ing engaging literature for a variety of audiences. The organisation was founded in No-
vember 2010 by Francis Xavier Labiran. He had a vision of creating a platform devoid
of the traditional barriers, which would allow the writers of his generation to get their
words immortalised in the pages of books. My Love is the first publication in what is sure
to be a long line of groundbreaking fine literature to come.

Wordjar
publishing

Designed by Kelvin Akposoe

Contact: Facebook.com/Kelvin.Akposoe
Twitter.com/K3lProducer
kelvin.akposoe@gmail.com