A Long Way from Home

For the refugees, every moment is a constant struggle for survival, a relentless search for home and community in an alien environment.

Omari Kimweri, 26, a Tanzanian boxer who made international headlines after defecting from the national team during the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, is continuing his fight for permanent residency in the country, after launching a professional career recently.

The Adelaide City Messenger newspaper reports that Omari is still pleading with the Australian authorities to allow him to stay; fearing arrest and prosecution if he is forced to return to his homeland in Tanzania.

Meanwhile, his fate is in the hands of the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship affairs, Chris Evans.

---

Makuac Wins an Award

Makuac Dhal is the proud winner of the Minister for Education and Children’s Services Award for excellence in Languages and Cultures.

The award was announced and presented on Australia Day, 26th January 2009, at Government House in Adelaide, South Australia.

Makuac is a quiet (yet distinguished) 18 year-old Sudanese man, who came to Australia in 2003 as a refugee.

He has worked effectively with people in need; helping the new arrivals make sense of the world in which they find themselves; translating and interpreting for the Dinka speaking parents and care-givers in the area.

In fact, his effort has already yielded some positive outcomes; leading to a better understanding of the cultural norms and the needs of the Sudanese youths in the new and emerging communities in South Australia.

Makuac is an ambitious young man with great potential and a worthy recipient of the award.

Dreamtime Tales

the dreamtime tales
of wonder sublime; imagining
the mysteries
of the divine consciousness
under the glow of your essence

you shine
the light on the immortal
longings of the
lonely soul under the watchful
eye of the rainbow

frisky hormones
on the rampage; deflowering
the cell nucleus
in the primordial pond
of ravishing beauty

the microbes
also have their special night
of surreal pleasure
cradling the mystic egg before
the golden dawn

across the dark matter
(in the blissful realm) I witness
the glorious birth
of the cosmic nymph, a flurry of
love particles over the crescent moon

the electrons in
the scarlet clothing of desire
profoundly seduced
by the magic protons under
the trembling beam of light

love blossoms in
earnest; feeding the flame...
nourishing the lonely
soul with sweet thoughts of life
endowed with endless joy

i sow the holy
seed of destiny with great delight
seeing the divine truth ...
feeling the eternal beauty of pure
love emanating from the single spark


© Lawrence T. Udo-Ekpo

The Sense of Joy

you sing
the dreamtime melody with
waves of delight
enjoying the mystical food
of love before dawn

i feel
the sweetness of your
pearly smile...
under the warm glow
of passion divine

you nourish
my soul with the sublime
images of love
finding ecstasy in the inner
world of desire

sensing
the divine song of beauty
this glorious night
you feed the flame of passion
with a delicate touch

© Lawrence T. Udo-Ekpo

---

The Soothing Voice of Passion

your soothing voice
fills the innermost depths of my
heart with joyful thoughts -
each word a clean slice of heaven
on a platter; the shining pearls
of wisdom contained

like the sweetest bird
of Oz after the winter solstice,
your inner voice creates the perfect
mood; exploring the miracles of life…
nurturing the fragile soul under
the trembling light

yours is the passionate voice of reason
flavoured with the elixir of joy…
the golden drops of honey plucked
from your sculptured lips
whose luscious blossom is the
lasting flower of the heart

it’s the voice of hope
painted with your kisses; a tonic
of delight in a mansion
of many dreaming rooms - a natural
mix of life, light, and desire

and now, I‘ve tasted
the eternal beauty of your divine
essence and enjoyed
its sweet and charming splendour…
scaling the symphonic heights of passion


© Lawrence T. Udo-Ekpo

---

Inner Beauty

the mighty
winter hits the land
with intimate
sound of silence, profoundly
seduced by solitude

yet, your
inner beauty gladdens
the heart and
brightens my days
with selfless gift

it re-ignites
the flame of passion
with timeless joy –
the basic ingredient of pure
love and ambition

it keeps
all things new and
fresh like
the mystical lily
in the pond

thus, inspired by
the divine presence, I see
the face of love…
feeling the mesmerizing
rhythm of your heartbeat


© Lawrence T. Udo-Ekpo

---

African Pilgrims

Pilgrims from across Africa are in Australia for the World Youth Day 2008 festivities. The celebrations begin today with an open day mass in Sydney harbour.

On Thursday, Pope Benedict XVI will greet the half a million devout young followers, including African youths, for the first time when he makes his way across Sydney harbour by boat to the Barangaroo foreshore.


african pilgrims
in fancy clothing; waltzing
the night away…
shouldering the cross with
a cupful of promise


© Lawrence T. Udo-Ekpo

---