EDEN BENIBO
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Poetry
  • Quotes
  • Stories
  • Blog
  • Hello Icon From Eden Benibo
  • Shop
  • Contact Me
    • Request A Speaker
EDEN BENIBO

Writer, Story teller & thought Leader

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Poetry
  • Quotes
  • Stories
  • Blog
  • Hello Icon From Eden Benibo
  • Shop
  • Contact Me
    • Request A Speaker
0
Category:

Poetry

AloudEXPRESS~SHUNPoetry

A duet By Like Aderinola And Eden Benibo On COVID-19

by Leke Aderinola And Eden Benibo June 30, 2020

In the highways’ silence
I hear the Apocalypse sing;
“The Reaper is in the streets
Souls are his trophy, no one is free”

The silence has a message
With handwritings on the walls
I see sleeping hearts wake!
The hunter will be hunted

Through his Facade of indefatigability
The world was stunned,
Yet we have found strength to battle
His Luciferian Pride, punctured

How time flies,
With a plague as an escort
How strength grows
On these wings of time.

Our hopes though in grip of fear
Is Never lost, more abounding
Our sleeping hearts, warm and pounding,
Now awakens as Humanity rises

We will rise from staying strong
To becoming strength.
Gathering the pieces of our yesterday,
As our world heals again

©️ Leke Aderinola          ©️ Eden Benibo

Today At Express-Shun, we are super excited to publish this powerful duet by talented Leke Aderinola and Our Founder,  Eden Benibo. 

We are even more excited because it’s Leke’s birthday! 🎊  We celebrate him for all that he has been doing on his space and the impact he has been making via his corner in the literary sphere. 

Happy Birthday Leke Aderinola! 

We look forward to seeing you blossom in the literary sphere and beyond. 

Massive Love From All of Us At Express-Shun

June 30, 2020 7 comments
9 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudEXPRESS~SHUNPoetrySalted Words

PENSIVE By Obi C. Henry

by Obi C. Henry June 25, 2020

 

WHAT IS YOUR WHY?

Clung onto obsolete nothingness
The dark clouds are caving in
The moon has discarded my world
The sun has quit its job
The stars mumbles
All heavenly bodies in sync lament
Oh! Let Thy will be done.

Seeking an infinite being to clingy my soul on,
for sanity to be birthed.
Through infancy,
Developing thoughts and empirical facts
Seeking the need for re-socialization

Bang! Bang!! Bang!!!
My heart realizes my head is pounding
Hazardous thoughts
Mental processes clouded.
Encompassed with the night rays
Are there rays at night?
No. It’s a daytime darkness
Mumbling
Murmuring
Being mummified
The M’s make mockery mimicking me
It ain’t about the talk, luck or clock
There’s no change without work.

©Obi C. Henry

Instagram: @house_of_cho

June 25, 2020 13 comments
5 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudEXPRESS~SHUNPoetrySalted WordsShort stories

What COVID Masks these Days – Jeff Cannon

by Jeff Cannon June 4, 2020

Title: What COVID Masks these Days

By: Jeff Cannon

These COVID days mask more than face!
guard nose and mouth from air-borne infection

These COVID days mask more than that, and more, your
worst bad dream could not address, since we need to
unmask everything we know and have memorized
unmask every sense you possess to truly see, hear,
recognize and know deeply, not just in mind, but deep heart
spirit, soul aware

These COVID days mask more than illness, they cover evil
its horrid grin, smiling over how easily we swallow its deceptions
an evil unleashed for world possession, world-depopulation
world rape, pillage, murder all legalized by governments elected
by and for the good of the people

An evil around since near time’s beginning, an evil that learned to
trust the one with the mightiest clobber, since only that one would
possess the power to have, say, do anything one wanted,
not only claim top-cat power position, but the blessing of the gods through
their anointed intermediaries with high temple caste, tiered duties
prosecutors of god rules in books man made up with incense and
holy matches to burn the bad,
raise up the male, put down the woo-man, the only way to control
the mystery of her body, the supernatural of her ways, too easily
able to sway folks against the tyranny of rule, return back to Earth

Back to the simplicity of the circle of community, wise elders male
and female, shamans male and female to heal body, heart, and soul
return the village back to its goodness when it somehow stumbled
off the proper path of well-being for the all, respect for nature,
prayerful reverence due giving and taking… living and dying

These COVID days mask more than face, they mask us then unmask
the religion power people, in secret, manufactured, then cleverly
spread, blessed every political-corporate all possessive- profit-
making worldwide deal to consolidate possession and those so
possessed to possess to have their moreness on a gold, not silver,
platter

No longer secret, obese rich elite with license can, willfully, pillage
rape, plunder till there is nothing left to squander for the buck’s, the
elite’s round table holy communion while the rest of us die, just die
from the burden of opulence, erasure of recognition, the slammed door
of abandonment

We need a mask to dodge this COVID virus, undermine the plan elite
lizards have for us, let the mask keep us healthy so when the virus
meant to have black bagged us off into unmarked graves has exhausted
itself and expired into in the silence of low cases and death statistics
then and only then can we unmask ourselves, stand together no longer
imprisoned by the horrid distinctions elite lizards made to split us up
keep us apart from each other, keep us ignorant and rude about the gifted
presence we have to offer each other, then, when that time arrives revolt
against the dreadful, leash that evil that has no will other than its own
with blood that flows green cold

Heal what is left of our wounded world, be earth keeper’s, do together
what will keep us healthy, let life flourish, revive the earth back to its
once healthy, clean, vivacious, Home-gifting Self!
© Jeff Cannon, at desk

A Note From Eden: Dear Jeff,
In depths, you reveal the cores of life hidden in dark places. Your brilliance is light too bright to be hidden. Your heart is an abode of truth and beauty in all pureness. Your being is a necessity. An essence. A blessing to mankind. Thanks for sharing your truth with us at Express-Shun. The world is dark enough. Continue to shine the light that you are.

Cheers!

Much love!!

 

June 4, 2020 9 comments
6 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudEXPRESS~SHUNPoetrySalted WordsShort stories

My Lockdown Story – Michael Seun

by Michael Seun May 30, 2020

A Lockdown Story
By: Michael Seun

This is the true definition of a prison.
I call it the mind prism,
Where we are all forced to be caged in,
Locked in our shelters
Trapped in our manners.

It isn’t only the physical lockdown,
But the mental lockdown
Our minds have be coerced to safety,
Fear and worries of the future.

Will there ever be school?
Will there ever be worship?
Will there ever be hangouts?
And all that concern the proof of human existence on earth.

Truly, we have now become Corona’s pets
Stuck in doors like most objects
We can only stare at our windows,
And gaze as the wind blows through the empty kiosks.
Blows through the voiceless places of worship,
And the motionless buildings of learning.
Its an unforgettable chapter of history’s book.

The fact that we all need to stay safe,
The Government orders
The Health warnings,
But still, it’s an ever flowing torture.
For some, it’s a time to be ever lazy,
And some others, to improve themselves in a ramification.

Let’s all watch and pray for the world,
For nature has been left to wander alone.
The virus has made us at home.
Home
Borders are now closed
Movement is now a stone

A Note From Eden: Dear Michael,
You Are Bright Light. The kind that effortlessly leaves the darkness bowing. You are sight, an eye piecing through the unseen. You are might, leaving your mark of truth, within each line of your story. Knowledge is power. And you haven’t failed to leave us with enough knowledge for sober reflections and positive actions. Thanks for sharing your truth with us at Express-Shun. The world is dark enough. Continue to shine the light that you are.

Cheers!

Much love!!

May 30, 2020 4 comments
2 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudArticlesEXPRESS~SHUNPoetrySalted WordsWord-Perfect Monday (WPM)

My Lockdown Story – Conrad Opene

by Conrad Opene May 27, 2020

A Lockdown Story

By: Conrad Opene

Hanging

Hanging from a pole while my eyes turn

The thought of falling seize my mind as I sway round and around

The sensation I offer makes me happy

My eyes begin to water mixing with sweats from my face

The strong ones never seem to be needy

Who gifts one what they possess

Who says one possesses

Sugar and Salt battle for dominance in a chilled glass of water

Nobody desires this conversation

Nobody talks when there’s nothing to say

Holding firm on the pole while stroking my body upwards and downwards

Smiling back at my enthusiastic spectators

They would keep me for ultimate pleasure

Until I am dropped after culmination

A Note From Eden: Dear Conrad,
I could end this note here already. Because the phrase “Dear Conrad” is in depths. The depths of the value you are to the world. The depths of how should let nothing tell you less. The depths of so many unwrapped gifts within you. The depths of the brilliance you should allow shine more. The depths of the brightness you carry. And the depths of how priceless you remain. Thanks for sharing your truth with us at Express-Shun. The world is dark enough. Continue to shine the light that you are.

Cheers!

Much love!!

May 27, 2020 11 comments
5 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudEXPRESS~SHUNPoetrySalted WordsShort stories

My Lockdown Story- Dogunro Honesty

by Honesty Dogunro May 16, 2020

A Lockdown Story

By: Dogunro Honesty

Some feel the need to roam
I derive aching joy staying home.

Live. Die. Repeat

My official anthem
from the epic battle of getting out of bed,
to the triumphant feeling of going back to sleep.

Time possess such value
yet, I don’t seem to know its price.
Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock
I consciously stroll through it,
as hours swing by
and life goes on
tick tock, tick tock, tick tock

An unrepentant wave of heat,
marks the beginning of the sun’s reign of terror.
I burn myself out with frivolity,
making mundane memories.

Like a pendulum I dangle through indecision between reading a book and replying a chat, watching a movie or taking an online class.
The struggle is endless

At dusk,
worn out by my battles and achievements
with so many wonders yet unseen,
And so many poems unwritten,
I drag my feet to the comfort of my bed,
telling myself tomorrow will be different.

A Note From Eden: Dear Honesty,

Your words are in clarity and depths from the overflow of the stories you bare. In between, I hope you there’s so much sunshine in you. I hope you realize depths of your glow. I hope you release this goodness more often through the words that you bare. Thanks for sharing your truth with us at Express-Shun. The world is dark enough. Continue to shine the light that you are.

Cheers!

Much love!!

May 16, 2020 12 comments
9 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudArticlesEXPRESS~SHUNPoetrySalted WordsShort stories

My Lockdown Story -Umeh Chisom

by Chisom Umeh May 15, 2020

A Knockdown Story

By: Umeh Chisom

Before, during and after the lockdown
I could never have asked for more.
A boring vacation.
Being home used to be my fairy tale story,
keeping record of every sanitized memory.

Before and during and the lockdown,
Writing became my melody to be heard.
Its lyrics, too tiny to see, too hard to understand.

Before and during the lockdown
my name became a song in everyone’s lips.
I’d dance to the tune of all
All first daughters would.

So here I am,
I became a dancer overnight…

A Note From Eden: Dear Chisom,
Your story sprinkled in poetry is deep. Each line leaving heavy footprints on my heart. The way you blend science with art is beautiful, and I look forward to the colours you’ll paint the world with this mixture. Thanks for sharing your truth with us. The world is dark enough. Continue to shine the light that you are.

Cheers!

Much love!!

May 15, 2020 9 comments
6 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudArticlesEXPRESS~SHUNPoetrySalted WordsShort stories

A Doctor’s Tale – Onyinye Mbata

by Onyinye Mbata May 13, 2020

By: Dr Onyinye Mbata

Some days, I wish I had a stay at home order. I wish I too could
just stay home, wake up late, eat, watch movies, stay in my pyjamas
all day and then have my bath at night.
I wish I could take a break from the scared sickly faces staring at me
and wondering if I could do anything to save their lives.
I wish I could hide from all the family members helplessly standing outside
the hospital asking to see their loved ones before they pass on.
I wish I could go to work not worrying about getting infected with a
disease so contagious and deadly.
I wish I could look at my colleagues and not wonder which one of us
would be infected next or die next.
I wish I didn’t have to go to work in fear and return home in fear that
I probably might infect my loved ones.
I wish I could trust the government to provide me with the adequate
materials I need to work.
I wish I too could stay home with my loved ones, share unforgettable
moments with them and not relive the horror that I witness constantly.
I never imagined that in my generation, there would be a pandemic so
lethal I would have so many wishes.
But I chose this path and as a doctor I must serve others even at my
expense.

A Note From  Eden: Dear Dr. Onyinye,

You. Are. Everything. Beautiful.
You are an essence of strength and light. And your story is one that ushers us into a soulful moment of retrospection. Of what life was. What life has been and what life is, currently.
In depths, beyond what our lockdown experiences look like, your story gives us a perfect picture of life “behind the scene”. About hope. About the pains. About death. About life. Thanks for sharing your truth with us at Express-shun. The world is dark enough. Continue to shine the light that you are.

Cheers!

Much love!!

May 13, 2020 17 comments
9 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudEXPRESS~SHUNPoetrySalted Words

A Beautiful Mess

by Leke Aderinola April 15, 2020

Beautiful Humanity is a
Beautiful slave and we are
Beautifully Ignorant.
Beautifully mundane,
we want to be like gods,
Beautifully we are not.
Beautifully we find reason to struggle and destroy one another,
Beautifully we Stand as one when faced with a common enemy,
Beautifully we all serve an higher power,
Beautifully we live like we never die but
Beautifully we do.
What a creature we Beautifully are..

#myexpressions
Aderinola Leke

April 15, 2020 11 comments
10 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudEXPRESS~SHUNPoetrySalted Words

THE ROUGH PATH

by Fale Derek April 11, 2020

The 50,000 feet tower high towards the heavens
With two tendered windows made at the top temple
By which the ray once shined through
From its foundation, basking in the light of darkeness
Grovelling in condemned witness
Opened to weathers in difference
Yet, hoping in one day fortress
Out of a million seconds extent
Help she yelled, out in silence
Often better than not, no excellence
Schools of thought gave their views
Some tagged her to be melanin good
Out they see, but lack the in look
We all hope that one day, once again, heavens will spark in smiles
And make her dark days in bright.

–

Derek

April 11, 2020 5 comments
3 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudArticlesEXPRESS~SHUNPoetryQuotesSalted Words

On Covid- 19: They Say Life is A Teacher || I Say Take Note

by Eden Benibo April 8, 2020

First things first. How are you? Sadly, it’s been a while here, but trust you’ve been pulling through. Keeping afloat in a world flooded with so many ‘this and that’.

Trust you’ve been- Staying safe. Staying clean. Staying hydrated. Staying at home. And most of all staying happy.
I know telling you to stay happy in times like this may seem absurd. But I insist. Please, stay happy

-because being sad won’t change a thing.
-because staying happy is everything.
-and finally, because wearing a ‘proper’ smile from the heart will serve as a bullet proof for guarding your health, your peace, and your ‘everything and more’. However, putting on a fake smile is simply what it is- a mask. Making you resemble the same things you frown at…(story for another day).

Just for emphasis
Staying safe- Why?

-because I need you. I do. Having you read my works and allowing them get to your heart to leave positive footprints, gives me fulfilment untold.

– because you need me. Yup!😊
– because we all need each other.
-because we are all that we have.

Now To The Matter

Still, baffling! That in a jiffy, the world is put to a stand still. Everything we’ve always lived for. Our businesses. Our daily ambitions. Our daily lives, all seemingly paused.
Well, this article isn’t to fuel your fears by going on and on with the ever alarming statistics and all what we already know are the negatives of the times we are in.

This, is simply a gentle call for us to breathe. Pay attention. Listen, and read the handwritings on the wall.
“During each disaster, we have to invent a magnificent tomorrow.
Always, be ready to pickup the stars during the dark.”- Amirah Writer/Friend

I strongly agree with the quote- “there’s a light at the end of the tunnel”, but it’s high time we realized that the LIGHT is you. Me. Us. The makeup of our world. When we get sick, so will our world. And when we heal, our world heals also. I bet you now better understand the phrase – ‘we are the world.’

Before Now

All these years of existence, we (our world) kept moving in such a fast pace. Daily, we woke up to changes. New innovations. New technologies. New thought patterns; birthing ‘refined humans’ constantly trying to keep up with the trends. To keep up with life. Maybe in this race, our beings got modified too. Our ability to pause. To listen. To feel. To be human. Maybe, just maybe the world grew too cold. The clouds got full

And COVID- 19 stormed
a world where anxiety has no color and fear has no race…

And for the first time (in a long time) the world paused. To breathe, after all these years of panting ‘to meet up’ with many things inexplicable. Running within its own circles. The world paused. A break time to: – reconnect with our God/our families/ourselves

-understand our essence
– relearn how to listen
-relearn kindness
-reframe our priorities
-broaden our perspectives
Noting the very things that matter, in all.

Do not talk about ‘heal the world’ without speaking about healing ourselves…

P.S: The power of words in times like this cannot be overemphasized. As we continue to share the statistics of death. Let’s endeavor to share life too.
I’m currently working on a collection… To be a part of it, kindly forward just 2 lines of hope/life on the current pandemic to [email protected]
You don’t have to be a “writer” to be part of this… 2 lines😘 links to published works will be forwarded via email.
.
More to come on this space: edenbenibo.com
-a duet on Covid- 19 by a new ‘writer friend’ and I.
-forthcoming article- On Covid- 19 and The Roles of Communication in Our Lives. (To be published by Etu Odi Communication)
.
Stay tuned
Stay Safe

Much love,
Eden

April 8, 2020 18 comments
7 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudEXPRESS~SHUNPoetry

A WRITER’S SOUL By Derek Olayinka Fale

by Fale Derek March 11, 2020

Made from numerous words
fantasizing in tumultuous moments –
back and forth they swing in thoughts,
touring 360degrees the earth.

A spark of signal can bring glimpse of inspirations
Surfing with the eyes opened,

but the heart,

gone to space beyond
by discretion they align their firmament
just to inscribe their mind on tablets,
merging words in clusters, leaving you to take your daring share

Crafting ideas to reality is their birth right
Reconnecting a lobotomized memory with word surgery
Crystal as diamonds, refined in gold, courtesy on treasures
They live forever in history
Spraying phrases as the snappy shots of a riffle
Piercing words faster than bullets.

March 11, 2020 6 comments
6 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudEXPRESS~SHUNPoetrySalted Words

Happy International Women’s Day👑

by Eden Benibo March 8, 2020

Tell
her
never to be afraid of releasing her wild brightness,
even in a world that seems to reduce the sunlight.
.
When the clouds are dark
and they try to hold her rain,
let her lightening thunder as songs
let her heart,
continue to beat to the melodies of her passion
Soon, the world will dance to its tune.
.
I pray we pass these words like football,
till the goals are reached.
I pray we spill,
forming a rainbow splashed from the colours that we are.
I pray we tell💥
.
Eden

March 8, 2020 11 comments
2 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudEXPRESS~SHUNPoetrySalted WordsWord-Perfect Monday (WPM)

The Unconnected Connections

by Eden Benibo February 24, 2020

 

Blue-black

The color of the sky and me coalesced

A thick strong bond of smoke and dust

Under naked heavens-

Celestial bodies of half sun and full moon

 

I was born with a cord-

Of twisted fibers that tied the bundle of me together.

 

At birth,

My umbilical refused to heal

Leaving a scar of my escape

From heaven to earth

A cicatrices,

Identical to the one Mome bears on her tummy.

 

We all bear this mark,

Somewhere beneath there

Shaped in our own handwritings

 

Perhaps,

A signature to the wars ahead –

From birth to death

Having escaped the boundaries of a holy capture,

Into the confinement of earthly Freedom.

February 24, 2020 4 comments
4 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudEXPRESS~SHUNPoetrySalted Words

WHEN BAD MEETS EVIL By David Williams (Davespeare)

by Eden Benibo January 22, 2020

 

“Oh I could”
Becomes our religion when things go awry.
The gods must be angry
When bad things happen to a pagan.
Sacrifices! Sacrifices!
Another virgin for the gods.
The white man said it’s arrant nonsense.
Why are you a sucker for pain?
But worse comes to worse
when bad meets evil,
‘It’s the work of the devil’
So says a christian.

Prayer after fasting, sewing seeds in doubt, springs forth the question:
‘Or is God not a christian?’
I know a doctor who lost his patience
Because he didn’t get any answer for more patients when he prayed about it.
And I know a casket seller who keeps praying for customers.
But who answers the prayer of them all?
Maybe there’ll be none remaining on the last day,
If the heart desires of each man be granted.
Haven’t you heard that the doctor hands over
His mistakes to the mortuary attendants?
The relay continues…

©David Williams (Davespeare)

About The Author: Here’s one of those beautiful souls with words that resonate deeply. Below are the words of David, giving a glimpse of his entirety:

I am David Williams, known by the stage name Davespeare. I’m a poet, spoken word artiste, songwriter, and more. My style/genre of poetry is what I call rhythmic poetry, although I love to explore other forms, since I’m still growing, (yes, I believe we stop growing in death).
My writing journey started in the year 2017.  I write to tell my story, in such a way that it should motivate, edify, entertain and educate.
I hope that my art would be able to influence people’s lives and mindsets in the best possible way.

 

Glow on Dave! We look forward to seeing your works thrive in the literary sphere and beyond!

January 22, 2020 0 comment
2 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudEXPRESS~SHUNPoetrySalted WordsWord-Perfect Monday (WPM)

Little Things

by Eden Benibo December 30, 2019

Today
I gave a slice of kindness
Buttered in love
To the old woman on my street,
Who sat on roads
Half as dusty as the sound of her laughter

Silence,
Made me see the pain
Screaming in my neighbors eyes.
It took just a meaningful stare –
Of one and half seconds,
To realize death was nearby

Beautiful
Was all I said to the artist
Whose works went unnoticed
By a world too busy
Carried away by the things,
That should be carried.

-Eden Benibo

December 30, 2019 2 comments
1 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudArticlesEXPRESS~SHUNPoetryPublicitySalted WordsWord-Perfect Monday (WPM)

Gratitude: Super Woman Under 30 Awards

by Eden Benibo December 30, 2019

Our burning passion,
leaves a tribal mark
printed on our smiles

We,
are a beautiful a capella
of selfless goals and dreams.
Our heartbeats
make sweet melodies of loud strength
in silent places

We are the Stories
of sunshine
glowing on rainy days.

We are the Colours
of the rainbow
smiling through the clouds

We are the twinkling stars
dancing bravely
on dark heights

We are the beautiful flames
that burn and light
in duality.

To all we are
And all we’ve been
Cheers!

Written and Dedicated to all the Nominees of the Super Woman Under 30 Awards 2019


Growing up, (during my primary school days) I became a ‘little’ addicted to the cartoon, Justice League. I could skip any other cartoon, but I never missed this one on Thursdays, 3pm; not even when I was flogged or scolded for always watching this cartoon with my school uniform still on, or at least my school bag. I felt these super heroes all had a peculiar uniform, so, even when I was ‘dragged’ out of my school uniform, I would still hold on tight to my school bag. Holding on to the two hands of my bag, gave me so much positive vibes. It made me feel I would fly like the animations I was so engrossed with.

The next day in school, my friends and I would gather during our break time, talking about how the last episode went, and screaming which of the super heroes we were.
“I am Batman!” One would say.
“Me, I am Wonder Woman! Another would shout.

And I would scream with all the life in me:
” I am Superman!!!! ”

He seemed to be the leader of the pack, was he? I loved a lot about him, from the storyline of how he became who he was, to his intelligence. How he would stand, hold his head to think, and formulate strategies for challenges. How he would literally break the grounds with his bare hands. Fling a huge car on a ‘bad guy’. Hold back a gigantic building, from falling on a little child, and to crown it all, how he flew blew my mind.
He didn’t need to ‘over stretch’, disfigure himself, use a web or anything. He was among the super heroes who just did what seemed to me as an effortless soar.

And for a long time in my life, I insisted that I was “Superman”.
Until gradually, life began to teach me about life:
I began to understand:

-one needed no uniform to fight the battles of life. You just fight!

-challenges may not come with the large scary faces in cartoons, but they would come. They came.

-Speaking about soaring: Sometimes, the pain from the sores beneath our feet, will help us find our wings. A test we can pass in flying colours.

And most all, I finally realized:
– One doesn’t have to be a man to be super.
So, when I hear a woman call herself King, I wonder if she feels being a Queen makes her less. Superwomen like Queen Ngozi of the Benibos, Queen Elizabeth of England, Queen Adichie of Literature, Queen Michelle of Obama and Queen Serena Francis of the Super Women Awards Tribe, are picture perfect proves to this…

However, this is the beauty of life, in the end, we all need each other (male or female), regardless of our ‘super powers’, talents or intelligence.

It’s left for us to discover these super powers and use them while we still can, on earth. I discovered mine quite early. Writing.
Although I didn’t know how to use it initially. As a little girl I would write on everything I saw. Including walls, calendars, just any paper! I became a terror in the house, writing jargons o! On any book, including important documents. I finally got the beating of my life, when one fateful day, I wrote on my mother’s Bible!!! To be contd.

..so that was how it started for me, till I began to write words that made meaning. Mome said, some of the words were just too much for my age, in both meaning and the context they triggered.

Initially, I just wrote for myself. The art was a healing process to me. I would write, feel better and hide what I wrote. But you can’t hide light, you know. Especially one quite bright.
My works were found by friends, shared, and that was how the spread began.

Today, I may not fling a huge car on a ‘bad guy’ or hold a gigantic building from falling on a child (like it fell on me) but I am glad I can break grounds with my hands (writing) and somehow lift a weight from a heavy heart. This and more are the joys my super powers bring.
Here are some clues to how my ‘super journey’ began:

At three
I was grown.
Grown enough to be Mome’s shock absorber,
Life electrocuted too

At five
I learnt to fly
My heart had lumps of dreams too thick to dissolve,
Solid enough for take off

At ten
I had become the sky
A reflection of boundlessness untapped,
The dwelling of twinkling stars awake

At fourteen
I found myself trapped in me,
Beneath golden diamonds in poetry shapes.
The stones were rolled away

At sixteen
I began to live
Unafraid of the deaths I had died
A discovery of the undiscovered.

…and my story goes on and on with me left with the beautiful responsibility of carrying my Father’s legacies along.


Many times I just like to be in a corner, unnoticed. Quiet. But I guess the super powers will always push me out, somehow into a leadership position or a kind of fame or just one height from nowhere. The awards started coming, the recognitions and most of all the fulfilment in knowing your words have a positive impact in the lives of others.

Particularly, the Superwoman Under 30 Awards 2019 means a lot to me. The name alone is a reflection of my childhood fantasies.


Gradually,
I am becoming
The wishes of my yesterday
And the goals of my today for tomorrow.

Ngozi Justina Benibo

Ngozi Benibo

My sister, brother (sometimes), friend (always), father (in between) being a mother. No, she’s not an Angel, she’s the god sent by God to guide and guard His Garden, Eden. How much more Super can a human be?

Serena Francis

Serena Francis

“Here’s To Strong Women,
May we raise them
May we know them
May we be them.”

Stars need not announce themselves, they simply shine. Neither does light, it glows, even from afar and so does she.
But most of all, I am in awe at the level of empathy she commands, effortlessly. How much more super can a woman be?

Oke Iwhewhe

Oke Iwhewhe

Some years back, I got to know I was nominated for an award, just a week to the event. An error made that happen though. So, when I was finally contacted, I was told to send in a lot of details via phone calls for easier access (due to the timeframe). But this wasn’t the issue, the issue was that, I had to always give a rather lengthy ‘explanation’ whenever I called…
But this wasn’t Oke.
She would even call you by your name and the rest is history..
Giving each person a personalized feeling is no small feat. This, was one of the most beautiful and unique attributes of the awards.
Indeed, some are blessed with jara superpowers! How much more super can a group manager be?

Mercy Olufunmi Sunshine

Mercy Olufunmi Sunshine

I call her Melzy!! I knew her long before the awards. She was one of my very first roommates and big sisters in Uniben.
Now among others, here’s a short story about what Melzy did to me.
It was few days to my matriculation and my mum promised to bring along the the gown for the event, when coming. In all Melzy kept insisting she doesn’t disturb herself to bring any gown. I agreed with her, but in a different direction. I felt I could wear any old gown in my box, to save Mome the stress of getting a new one.

Meanwhile, I nor know say na different plan Melzy get for mind.
Hey! That was how Melzy told me to escort her to go get a gown for her younger sister, who was about my size. I innocently followed her.

And when we got to the market, we finally saw one that fit perfectly.

For my mind, I like the gown erreh
But no be my own na. Na just testing..

Suddenly, Melzy started asking- “are you sure you like this one?” I nodded.
But I was still wondering why she wasn’t asking “do you think my sister would like it.”

..and that was how Melzy told me the gown was mine! For my matriculation!!

It’s more than four years after that day already, but how do you forget people like this?
How much more super can a heart be?

Ofon Emmanuel

Ofon Emmanuel

Thanks a lot for reaching out to me, even in my ‘hidden’ corner. Knowing you is a blessing too❤

Justina Anurika Godwin aka Gist with Tina

Justina Anurika Godwin

My Mome’s namesake! Thanks for the laughter your words triggered, and thanks for the happiness shared.  How much more super can sisters be?

Elizabeth Benibo

Elizabeth Benibo

Sadly I couldn’t go for the awards. (You know my stories are always long) make we leave that wan.
So, it was just a day to the awards and the news struck! The person who was to stand in for me, couldn’t do so anymore. (It’s fine, she had her reasons though)
Then we started to brainstorm! Until my Super Aunty Lizzy flew into our minds. Like why on earth did I skip telling her in the first place. She is that brave, jovial, ‘no dull moment’ kind of person, always. And I heard she did justice standing in for her girl, Eden.
How much more super can an aunt be?

Finally, I must ‘say’ this one!
Maybe I wouldn’t have travelled to Port Harcourt this Christmas, but thanks to the Super Woman Under 39 Awards 2019. I had to travel to go thank my aunt and see my cousins who insisted I come take my crown, myself

And seeing them after two years was one of the most beautiful moments of my 2019.

“The things that make us different –
those are our Super Powers.”
–LENA Waithe
First Black Woman
To Win The Emmy For Comedy Writing.

With this, I salute everyone out there, being super in their own unique way.

May we continue to shine the light that we are, now and always!

Much Love


Eden Benibo

December 30, 2019 9 comments
1 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudArticlesEXPRESS~SHUNPoetryQuotesSalted Words

Outspoken- Salted Words By: Arogundade Oluwanifemi Olatundun

by Eden Benibo November 22, 2019

We all have our

Our voices to speak

Messages to give 

Lives to change, people to teach 

Stories to tell, Melodies to sing 

But fear keeps us from what you should willingly bring

Seriously, so you mess up and you’ve messed up 

Guess what? you still live 

Courage is one thing we must acquire 

Let our voices be heard and not retire

We’ve been given this gift for a reason

A weapon to withstand the seasons 

Nifemi

  I wrote this poem a while back , I may  have tweaked it a little (to the OGs that may recognize it). I remember the feeling of satisfaction when I first wrote this poem(I know it’s no Shakespeare but I was like 11 when I wrote it , give me a break) I thought to myself “OUTSPOKEN?, ME? NIFEMI?

Growing up you see different qualities/ features in the girls around you and sometimes ( I know this isn’t a good thing but it’s a true thing) you start to compare yourself to them saying things like “How come when she does that hairstyle, her base glides gracefully on her face like a gazelle or swan and mine flies like a scared  bird ?, How come she doesn’t have acne on her face? How come boys are more into her? ( Please tell me , I’m not just projecting here).” Anyways like most teenage girls I had my fair share of insecurities but the one thing I was a  jealous of in my peers was the amount of CONFIDENCE they had, at least compared to mine.

Nifemi and award-winning writer, Chimamanda 

I was a terribly timid child, I say this all the time but I don’t think people really  understand the gravity of the situation. My first real prayer points were around the lines of ” Dear God, in school please don’t let Mrs……….. ask me any question in front of the class and I promise I’ll be of good behavior starting now, I’ll even let Taiwo be my friend “( Most times Taiwo and I ended up fighting almost immediately after the prayer, maybe that’s why my prayer didn’t get answered, I had no follow-through).

I remember my mom always saying to me things like “Be confident!,Say how really you feel!, Don’t  you know who’s you are ?,Don’t you know who you are? What’s the worst that could happen?”and like her saying  “Never go to an owambe with an empty stomach” she wasn’t wrong but it just wasn’t easy for me.

Hey, if you’ve read this far , we’re practically friends now, so I’ll let you in on a secret I’ve learnt over the years “Confidence comes easily for some lucky people, but for some of us it takes a little more practice and that’s fine ,we all have things as humans we should and can work on”. Like the legend Hannah Montana taught us “Nobody’s perfect”. I still have days I swallow my words and twiddle my thumbs but that’s no longer my basic instinct and that to me is progress. It also helps knowing and truly believing ” In Christ I can do all things” on the really bad days, Plus having people that believe your thoughts and opinions are valid and worth hearing.

I have to be honest at this point and say, I really don’t have any tips on how to be confident or more outspoken , “Who am I really but a 21 year old graduate that actually believes the reality tv show THE BACHELOR is actually about finding love and commitment ( I wonder who Colton will end up with?)” but I’ll leave you with a quote from one of my favorite writers :Dorothy Parker, she said ” The first I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue” and I try to live by that . Each morning I say to myself “Today I will be confident”, “Today I believe that my opinions and words are valid” and hey what’s the worst that can happen?

P.s I do however understand being outspoken doesn’t equate to being confident and I am aware sometimes people talk a lot to cover up some underlining insecurities but hey that’s a topic for another day okay.

About the Author:
Nifemi is a graduate of Mass Communication, University of Lagos (UNILAG). She best describes herself as “Quirky with a lot of spirit.” Need we forget to add that Nifemi is a twin, who believes in the gift of an individual uniqueness, regardless.
The art of writing to Nifemi has been her greatest channel of expression.
With this, we look forward to seeing the world dance to the melodies of her art, soon!

To read more of her works,
Kindly visit her personal blog at: https://thingsishouldreallysayoutloud.wordpress.com

November 22, 2019 2 comments
2 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudEXPRESS~SHUNPoetry

An ode to LIFE (AGBON)- Salted Words By: Pa Shakespeare

by Eden Benibo November 19, 2019
The yesterdays,
The todays and even the uncertain morrows
In accordance to the law of nature
Are in a state of a perpetual flux.

The many stages 
We have Experienced
Thus far,
Buttress and assert the karmic theory
Which states that 
'whatever goes up will be reversed so 
It can be reached'.

Our decisions and indecisions
Are guides, navigating our paths towards 
Its designated fate,
For a man is wholly free when he is dead.

Oh!
How true and dedicated many remain
To life's hustle
Amidst it's bellow mysteries
And power tussles.
Which arise as a need mistaken
For peer pressure,
For to sew a clothe, a tailor
Must first take a measure.

Agbon
You are cheap but yet priceless,
Harsh like the fate of Ikoka men after the curse.
Sour Sweet like the taste of the Otien fruit
And indifferent to man's plight.

Agbon
A statue should be made in your name
Because your fairness knows no bound.
For if you were biased,
Only the few rich will survive
Whilst the poor, animals
And the trees will go into extinction.

'A wise man lives once
And leaves while dying.
While a fool dies several times
And regrets even while living.'


 
Godwin Henry Osaigbovo Pa Shakespeare
November 19, 2019 0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
AloudEXPRESS~SHUNPoetrySalted Words

Song of a Man Called Chikwado -By: Chukwu Chikwado

by Eden Benibo November 9, 2019

I sing
of hope
dashed on your exit
but regained.

I ring
the very bells
our foes condemned
to muteness.

Where darkness
on my paths
they brewed,
brilliant rays
before me moved.

Where on ashes
of my yesterday
they spat and passed,
I caused my dreams
to sprout and bloom.

Today
the short pains
I manly bear
prick my marrow;
tomorrow
long gains
shall be my lot.

Hello,
To the great
whose drop of liquid
morphed into me!

Written by:
Chukwu Chikwado
The blind poet.

Remembering the inevitable event of many years ago!!!

November 9, 2019 37 comments
1 FacebookTwitterLinkedinWhatsappEmail
  • 1
  • 2

About Me

About Me

Writer, Story teller and Thought leader

Eden Benibo is a writer, story teller and thought leader whose works revolve around positivity, . . . Read More

Keep in touch

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Linkedin

Newsletter

Instagram Slider

No images found!
Try some other hashtag or username

Archives

  • March 2021 (2)
  • January 2021 (1)
  • September 2020 (2)
  • July 2020 (3)
  • June 2020 (19)
  • May 2020 (56)
  • April 2020 (4)
  • March 2020 (4)
  • February 2020 (3)
  • January 2020 (1)
  • December 2019 (5)
  • November 2019 (4)
  • October 2019 (5)
  • September 2019 (1)
  • August 2019 (2)
  • July 2019 (2)
  • May 2019 (2)
  • April 2019 (3)
  • March 2019 (3)
  • February 2019 (2)
  • January 2019 (1)
  • December 2018 (3)
  • November 2018 (9)
  • October 2018 (2)
  • September 2018 (3)
  • August 2018 (8)
  • July 2018 (8)
  • June 2018 (2)
  • March 2018 (1)
  • February 2018 (4)
  • January 2018 (4)
  • December 2017 (5)
  • November 2017 (7)
  • October 2017 (12)
  • September 2017 (2)
  • August 2017 (2)
  • July 2017 (3)

Recent Posts

  • (no title)
  • (no title)
  • (no title)
  • BOOK YOUR FREE 30 MINUTES SESSION TODAY
  • What Can You Do About It? By Faith Ekekwe

About Me

About Me

Eden Benibo is a writer, story teller and thought leader whose works revolve around positivity, . . . Read More

Recent Posts

  • (no title) March 9, 2021
  • (no title) March 9, 2021
  • (no title) January 21, 2021
  • BOOK YOUR FREE 30 MINUTES SESSION TODAY September 1, 2020
  • What Can You Do About It? By Faith Ekekwe September 1, 2020

Newsletter

Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts. Stay updated from your inbox!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Linkedin
  • Tumblr
  • Youtube
  • Email
  • Bloglovin
  • Snapchat

@2019 - Eden Benibo. All Right Reserved.