Courage to Release

She learned that love can quietly weigh,

When no one sees what you give away,
And being strong can fade to grey,
When you forget yourself each day.

She stood in roles she didn’t choose,
Carried more than she could use,
Smiled through what she had to lose,
Calling it peace in borrowed shoes.

But deep inside she heard her name,
Not in duty, not in blame,
Not every fire needs her flame
Not every burden bears her frame.

She stopped becoming what they need
Stopped watering silent seeds,
Some systems grow on endless feed,
While she just learned to breathe and leave.

Kin can love and still confuse,
Still leave you stuck in what you lose,
Still make you question what you choose,
While calling it what you must do.

But she could not stay and pretend,
Some cycles do not truly mend,
They only loop and then extend,
Until you choose where they must end.

It wasn’t anger, it was truth,
A quiet reclaiming of her youth,
Not every bond is living proof,
Some are just lessons we go through.

And healing doesn’t always stay,
Where all the pain is asked to play,
Sometimes it means walking away,
To find yourself another day.

So she laid down what wasn’t hers,
The heavy things, the unseen spurs,
And chose a path that gently stirs,
A life that finally now occurs.

So she said, “I’m letting go,”
Of what was heavy on my soul,
Not every weight is mine to hold,
Not every story must be told.

It may break, but she will grow,
Even in the letting go,
She chooses peace, she chooses flow,
And now she finally knows…

She is free in letting go.

The Lady With a Vision a.k.a Visionary Woman

She’s not ashamed of a place where she’s nothing

She realises that her place of nothingness is a place of learning

And her place of somethingness is a place of service

Through the chosen platforms of her passion,

She rocks the stages of her growth

She is not defined by the tone of her skin

The width of her hips or the price of her clothes

She is worth far more than rubies

A physical, spiritual, emotional and mental being wrapped in one body

She is wholesome

She delights in simplicity

So she heals from the complexities of the mundane

Fame finds her and feels favoured

For she is rare and unexpected

She minds history, so she makes history

She could be a career woman, entrepreneur or stay-at-home mum

Whoever she may be, she knows she is not alone

She faces her fears and loves her process

She takes her mountains and levels them

A step today… a step tomorrow

She is unbothered by competition and human scales of measurement

She embraces herself, failure and all

She is not perfect but that’s okay

Progress is more important

She is wise enough to find her own company

She is designing the life she loves

Turning her can’ts into cans and her dreams into plans

Smashing her fears and becoming who God created her to be

She is salt and light, beautifully unique

She is the lady with a vision

Morning musings; Gratitude

Queues and queues
Long scattered lines of vehicles
At every station
Digging for refined black gold
Home and calm and just home

Phone calls unanswered
I had logged off from the world
Logged in within
Reached deep down to my core
To analyse personal and spiritual things

A knock on my door
Morning time
Birds chirping and chattering
Skies unfolding with bright light
A gift of a gallon

Teach us Lord
To embrace the stressless life
One willed from within
Help us keep walking
In the Consciousness of stillness

A few of my favourite things

Chunky bracelets on cute small wrists
Lots of adventure, wide grins and smiles
To think that I was able to actuallly swim
Mentorship that inspires

Heels by weekends, flats through the week
Colours and fresh air
Sunshades on his eyes looking at me looking at him
Expressions of love and care

Beautifully put together scribblings
Watermelon and pineapple kebabs
Voices...subtle,textured as the ocean's breeze
To specialize yet be versatile

The smell of heated coffee,cream and ginger
Shabby chic furnishing
Cheese and water crackers
Rainbows and boxes tied up with strings

The red sofa I met with some time ago
Ruby woo beneath stretchy kinky
Earring holes anew
Fluffy pompoms and wooly knits

The joy of eureka
Knowledge of the word
The wisdom in Inertia
The simplicity in penning a thought

Divided Labour
To be able to wear skirts more often
Drinks with the ladies in warmth
To be still and thankful when left with little

The freedom to surge
The ability to express
The satisfaction of becoming
Sounds of Laughter from ML and FN

Brown paper bags and packages 

To be called Mum
Fitness and mindful fingers
To hold and be held in accord

These are a few of my favourite things!

Conversations with time

Time oh time...are you friend or are you foe?

One thing to me, something else to another

Coming slowly only to pass by swiftly

You sow and reap and come and go

You conceal and reveal

Opening up secrets that only you had hidden at first

Pushing people farther and binding others together

Some get hurt and others you heal

Time oh time…are you family are you stranger?

You are today, tomorrow, a moment, a season,

Here and there and far and near

Encouraging me to forget and helping me remember

One with false hopes quickly comes to the realization

That nothing hides beneath the sun and soon you will speak

Some will be caught up in your wrath

Fortunately others will receive salvation

Time oh time... I shall never understand you shall I?


Yours Truly,
TRULYAdlyne

I used to have a best colour

I used to have a best color

My best color was green

One day I woke up

And discovered life was but too green

And that was about all I could see

I loved other colors no doubt

But fixated I was, on being known for something
This made this color my always-obvious choice

I acquired it in all shades and all items

It was my black

It wasn’t something to be worried about

But it hindered my views and thoughts about other colors

I didn’t get to appreciate them as much

Didn’t get to love them enough
Enough to fill my life with items in their shades and tones

I took a stand and thought to just try

And if I missed green so much

I could always run back to it

For it was my comfort zone
My feel good place

The decision to try

Has freed my life

Now I love all kinds of colors

And I see and observe combinations that others don’t
Now I'm aware

I’m now willing to try them all

I have so much fun in their embrace
The scales are fallen
My heart is more open
I'm receptive

Having too many restrictions shields us from truly living

I was blind but now I see
Tomorrow when I’m asked “what is your best color?”

I’ll say “I used to have a best color"

"My best color was green”

Yourstruly
TrulyAdlyne

Happy New year folks!

Happy 2013

As the year comes to a start
We pray that all that we need we'll have
Through all up hill tasks
We will laugh
Hard times will not last
But despite all our trials
We will dance
And In the euphoria of great things only we'll bask

...Happy New year family!

Yourstruly
TrulyAdlyne

My Potter

You are my potter and I, your clay

You never let me go astray 

And whenever to you I pray

You mould my destiny back to stay

Do the same to me today

So to the world I’ll never cease to say

With you Father there’s no delay

You are my potter and I, your clay

Yours Truly

TRULYAdlyne

The Wonders of God’s Awesomeness

At the sound of the cocks dutiful crow
My grateful soul awakes
And is immediately captivated by the smell of the morn’s fresh dew
My eyes open up to behold the sun’s most definite light
My lips twitch in soft smiles
As its rays peek through sheer blinds
And the gentle breeze blowing on me
Causes a rush of blood beneath my soft skin

I get out from under my covers to embrace the beauty of nature,
The one deep rooted in the principle behind the uniqueness of creation
A few steps towards my window,
I pull my curtains apart
And I am welcomed with newness
One that blusters from the highest mountains
My eyes are closed as I soak in this sensation
It tilts me so I rest totally on my heels…and then back on my feet

Very refreshed from the feeling
I lift my head above my eye level
And In a suggestive look into the sky
I see the glorious skillful kings of the air as they hover over the horizon
Diving through the clouds at unbelievably calculated speeds and velocities
Knowing, dominating, owning their liberty
Left, right, center and all about
Air shows and expert pilots

Moving afore my minds gaze at about ninety degrees
Are the terrestrial lords
Dashing, hopping, jumping on the spears of greens
Around, in between and atop trunks and branches
Canopies swaying and leaves clapping
To windy rhythms, chatterings, echos and whispers
Breathtaking surprises of color
Complimenting and accentuating back and foregrounds

Not to be forgotten were the Water nobles
Gliding effortlessly in the bluegreens
Twirling and spinning in the saltiness of the ocean
Tadpoles wiggling, lilies spreading and floating
In the freshness of the lakes and ponds
One last cardinal look in my inner vision...and it was all before me
The Wonders of God’s awesomeness
And the awful lot of power held up in the name of the one who created it all!

Yours Truly
TRULYAdlyne

WHITNEY

Listening to Whitney Houston’s CD one morning on my way to work
Tears, welled up in my eyes
It had been days since we all heard she died
And for some reason I was a late mourner of the loss of this Icon
I watched an interview done on people who knew her well in her life time
“Whitney was always gonna do what she wanted to do” said one of them
Spotlight over her life in general seemed to reveal some measures of headiness
But perhaps she was a victim of her beliefs and the habits she refused to let go

The choices we make not only impact the lives of those who look ‘at’ or ‘up to’ us
But have very large roles to play in building or tarnishing us personally
I din't stalk her career while she was alive
But it was always a pleasure to listen to her for hers was great music
Heart in melody and soul in wordings of whatever tune her lips produced
She portrayed powerful expressions and sincerity in her renditions
All she ever wanted was to be loved just as she had loved the family the Lord blessed her with
Mum Cissy,Daughter Bobbi Kristina,Godmum Aretha,Cousin Dionne,Childhood friend Cece (Winans) and a lot of others

Perhaps she took the wrong lane down achieving the hopes she held on to as a young girl
And years later, in her words “Your image of me is what I hope to be”
Also in the beautiful song titled ‘I look to you’
She went “I don’t know If I’m gonna make it…but I look to you”
I think this is where we all are and it’s important for us to realize this
But more importantly to know what to do with these emotions
There has to come a time in life when you have to know if you’ll make it or not
And next to know if you’ll make it to Heaven

If we've ever known and along the line forgotten, this is a reminder
It is our responsibility to know our standings
And let go of all things that will make us lose track
Be it ‘Love’ yes Love, if it’s not the 1st Corinthians type then away with it!
People, places, clothes, habits…whatever we’re easily drawn to in our interactions
So with Whitney’s album on repeat on my way to my destination
And her loved ones preparing a memorable burial ceremony
It was ‘Adieu Whitney…we will always love you’

May vital lessons be learnt
Changes be made
And all judgment cease
So help us God

Yours Truly,
TRULYAdlyne

A better Life

Companionship gives warmth to a lonely heart
Writing gives healing to the soul
So many times things don’t go as we’ve planned
So many times people misunderstand us
The opportunity to fully explain ourselves
To set things straight and to put things right
Rarely presents itself at our doorsteps
And the more we try to give clarity to certain issues
The more misunderstood we become
Because not everyone always thinks the same way

The ability to shut out the pride of our expertise
And to listen to the things that other people have to say
Having respect for their rights to have points of views
And reasonings or thoughts
Is the beginning of understanding ourselves
And differences between us and the world
The commencement of self and people appreciation
The foundation of knowing who to make friends with and those to keep as acquaintances
Not all dealings require sentiments
Truth be told

In a challenging and competitive world such as ours
Times will come when our skills will be tested
The very origins of us
Our principles and beliefs, our knowledge and our findings
Our takes towards subjects of obligation and subjects of passion
In everything we do and everything we say we will always find opposition
And being tempted to join in the race to strive for relevance and respect
May not be such a bad thing, after all it brings out the spirit of sportsmanship in us
But more important in life is the knowing of oneself as opposed to contest with our peers
Knowing who we are, our strengths and fears and being candid is the path to be chosen

This way we can evaluate, deal with our issues and come back better
The strength to move on after a major road block comes from the ability to refresh
Refreshing gives the will to have a better start
And the empowerment to see things through to the end
Expecting that everyone agrees with us
Will always leave us throwing pity parties for ourselves
Understanding that we don’t have to agree with everybody
Will keep us away from trouble
And give us opportunities to think,
Search for truth and come to the knowledge of right

Our declarations in life should be that of loyalty towards kin
Compassion towards strangers and consideration for others
Dedication to passion and building ones knowledge in diverse fields
Transparency and openness with the wisdom to maintain privacy
This is what guarantees us the edge and makes us truly sportsmen
This is when we conquer the war against self
And emerge as winners of the trophies of competitions with others
It guarantees us victory of the greater fights
And deals with our envy or the ones from others
These are the ingredients to a better life

This is my take; hear me out first then agree or disagree if you will


Yours Truly,
TRULYAdlyne

June 2010

In June 2010
just before the two days I remember vividly out of the rest
My diary would have read something like this;

Finally,
I've come to this point
The point where life changes forever
No going back
Only promises to be kept
And Vows to be made

Actually,
I'm not scared
It's all I've always wanted
Never asked for anything less
It's happening
And I'm joyous

Really?
The search is over?
Never felt this way before
I guess its meant to come just once
I've gotten there
And I'm knowing it

My Eureka moment,
I've met my king
My best friend
The love of my life
The proof that God's love
reaches down to the earth

Thank you Father,
I'm hugging you right now
Can you feel me?I know you hear me
Major dream achieved!
See you all in the future people
Name...changed and all.xoxo

Yours Truly,
TRULYAdlyne

QUESTIONS?

If what I do is right
Why does my heart squeeze
when I pause to analyse?
Why do I swallow hard
Still to find the absence of saliva?
Why do I feel so terrible about it?

What would Jesus have me do?
When Unity causes division
When people conspire against people
kin against kin
If I din't fight for me
I'd still fight for you

I've known me for years still I ask 'Why?'
Why I comprehend taking a stand
More than I understand sitting on shameful fences
For me or anyone else
Why do I always have to have an opinion?
Which one do I love the most; Justice or Design?

Should I ask for your the grace  to walk away?
The wisdom that radiates from silence?
As the sun quietly but surely warms up the earth
reaching deep within
Healing the damp soul of the soil
from inside out?

Yours Truly,
TRULYAdlyne

I think, I’m busy

‘Busy’ is one word that appears more often than not in my life

Things get so upbeat

Everything moves, spins and dances around me

This is how I like things to be normally

However, sometimes the speed amazes me

And leaves me wondering who got me here

So many things to be done

Yet time waits for no one,

Days go by and I check my ‘to-do-list’

A few things to tick off here and there

Still, the listings are endless

I stop to ponder on what exactly keeps me so busy

What do I have running in my head all the time?

Sometimes; family, friends, business, career, life management…

Other times; colors, surfaces, finishes, knowledge, gatherings…

I zoom-in on people far and near and experiences I’ve had with them

I think about my dreams, my passions, the things I can’t do without

My career, my aspirations and possible ways to fuse things

I think about things as uncomplicated as my Kitchen

And smart tricks to keep molds and bugs away from the cabinets

I think about my life in terms of Verbs

And the world in terms of Adjectives,

About how I feel when I walk in to my space again knowing I did my laundry yesterday

I think about accomplishments

As days go by, I dream about looking back in future

And nodding to the fact that I had time to think about everything

I remember a time when I felt I wasn’t busy enough and how I’d cry myself to sleep

And I think about now that I’m so busy and how my back aches, going to bed at night

But if I’d chose between the two, I’d chose the latter over and over again

There’s a difference between body and spirit and a need for sleep to be justified

It’s wonderful to be busy and I won't want life any other way

I'd like to also master juggling all aspects really well

And I’d like to witness my achievements 

To know that because I set time apart to think, I was busy 

And because I was busy, I got to do it

There’d be no greater joy in my busy world!

So every day when I think of how busy I’m going to get

My silent heartfelt and fervent prayer is;

For the good Lord to bless my thoughts and package them into ideas,

To bless my ideas that they blossom into creativity

And bless my creativity to transform the lives of my family, friends and community

All through me, the ever thinking, ever busy one.

Yours Truly,

TRULYAdlyne

New Year Prayer

SUNDAY MORNING MUSINGS

Woke up one Sunday morning

First thing, like always every other morning

I looked up at the clock strategically positioned 90 degrees to the bed

Found I had just 15minutes to get ready

But there was something I remembered and one call later

An entirely different thing was confirmed

I had 2 hours extra today; it was the last Sunday of the month

Meaning one of thanksgiving in my present house of worship

In mental acknowledgment of that information

I became relaxed and my mind began to roam

My Hair, it looked so beautiful

Newly oiled and airbrushed in preparations for today from last night

All I’d need was to run my fingers through the locks

My black glitter eye liner though best for night time

Was sure to do the trick this morning on the color I’d choose from my palette

As I stared at the tiny bumps on my forehead

I couldn’t thank the Lord more for one invention

The Foundation-A woman’s best friend

And to lock the look in totally

I’d leave my lips pale but classically glossy

Hours later, seated in church

The congregation was shown a documentary

On a powerful man of God…or once powerful

Who had declared his stand years back on a controversial topic

One our world is unable to disapprove of today for reasons not understood by me

Either by Media and public rationalization or Spiritual-self exploitation

He is being accused today with mind damaging proofs of photos and testaments

For being in favor of the same issues he had once condemned

What was going to be the eventual public verdict?

Would it correspond with the truth known by God Almighty alone?

Some time later I reflected on my early musings

And the happenings hours later

I realized that the love for this world and things of the world

Starts one step at a time and creeps in crawl after crawl

One brick of vanity laid by the mortar of vanity upon another brick of vanity

Was sure to come crumbling down in the vain face of vanity itself

Aware of the fact that nothing was necessarily wrong with self-appreciation

I took a travel within to analyze my thoughts and get to the root of my reflections

I had to admit, the artistry wasn’t also necessarily for the glorification of His name

I just wanted to look my physical best, possibly outstanding in that congregation

My heart began to cry out and yearn more for him

He is the way, the truth and life

All I now asked for was one exceptional fascination for his way

One unadulterated and divine conviction for his truth

One celebrated passion for his life and personality

To know him and sit as his disciple learning at his feet

Oh how drained, lacking and deprived the world is in all areas moral inclusive

Nothing compares to the privilege of knowing him and serving him right

That I might be found blameless on the day my enemies will seek to tear me down

That on that day there will therefore be no condemnation dispensable to my soul

Defective but not detected? The man of God asked…faulty but not yet found?

There is a call upon our lives today for a much kingdom anticipated change

It’s time for all God’s children who are not ashamed to publicly proclaim his name

To rise to the challenges of the world and overcome by his blood

Time for us to stop nailing him back to cross with the intents behind our actions

May heart meditations even more than words of mouth be suitable in his sight

May we never be embarrassed to say it exactly as we know it is

To the justification of our sanctified consciences in the face of false friends

And may this be more than just a write up to you

For much more than your readership does God require…He looks into our hearts

Yourstruly

TRULYAdlyne

TIMES

There are Times when our wills are in a constant battle

With heaps of responsibilities our personalities are saddled

Voices from wrong decisions in the wind, on and on they rattle

And we’re left with nothing but a nettle

Other Times frustrations result from our hustles

Many friends more than ever turn out fickle

But just over one of the many eventful hurdles

To a halt comes whatever boils in the kettle

At Times, instead of oceans we have puddles

Good luck seems to have gone missing in the shuffle

But in the face of the most uncontrollable hassle

You get lifted in an unexpected cuddle

In Times as now, regardless of burns from tattles

Stay right there on your mettle

Fastened to hope like clothes to a line with a toggle

For seasons come when discouragement dwindles

Yourstruly,

TRULYAdlyne

The School Bus

We've grown over the years

But there are historical highlights:


Buffets at Mumi Adeleye’s boot; Sundays,

Weekends at someone's crib away from school stress, 
The Christening..D12, School bus, e.t.c 
Eyes rolling at us, 12 seats same row at Chapel services

Hot harsh mails to each other in-between work disagreeing on a subject,

How lifted I felt was when through the rigors of the Lagos Friday traffic 

And the inconvenience of being a thousand miles away for some,

Everyone turned up for the Engagement…My Engagement

The School Bus…

My side of the story.         

Met her through a friend who was my room mate at the time.

Saw her in class one day and discovered we were course mates like I’d heard

Isimenmen cracks me up...she’s new school-old school all in one

One of us must have been cutting classes though

for us to have met the way that we did

Every morning, on her way to class,

She’d stand outside the hall and shout out a name

Her friend was my floor mate and that was the cue, it was time to go to class.

Very dedicated of her...I thought

Pretty black chick named Funmi

 

Introduced through a mutual friend and course mate

We’ve talked about almost every issue possible over time

When you hurt, Eko hurts

She’s taught me a new kind of friendship

Loyalty is its name

Layo was the one
I barely knew back then

Who came to check me up in my room one day

And almost chocked when she found I had slept off from being too ill at the time 

Instead of  jacking for my Survey Exams; She read to me.

I think we met at Mrs Adeleye’s boot,

When Atim and I became floor mates we had so much fun

My chubby smiley friend, very pleasant, very giggly

Our friendship has stood the very test of time

And I’m incredibly proud of that
 

Talkative, playful and cheerful even at moments of sadness and sobriety

Used to wonder what exactly it was with her

Until I was given an opportunity to find out myself that she was normal or so

When in Mary hall we became roommates

Yetunde with the 'kinda nice' hyphenated last name, Homer-Williams

We were one floor apart

But she’d come to see me for something or just to say ‘Hi'

Though shy herself; courageous enough to be friendly

Kunbi's always been humble but I like who she’s totally become 

And she carries the new 'geekish beauty' look very well indeed.

I remember Tosin from way back…

100 level dance group called Commissioned

Energetic, outspoken, heady, friendly, hardworking, envisioned

Never thought we’d end up friends,

I’ve come to notice we've got things in common

The owner of the mum whose boot had goodies lying within

She and I became friends after I had partaken of all the benefits

If my house wasn’t available for ‘crashing’, hers absolutely was

It still remained my ultimate escape destination after school till recently

Yemisi ‘cute girl who’s barely got feet’ Tinubu

In first year, a friend of mine had a floor mate

Almost always standing on the corridor in front of her room window

She’d go back in, pair something with another and return to the same spot

Turn, turn…slowly twirl…I just thought “this one must have plenty clothes”.

Anjie..soon to be christened with a new last name


The floor mate who always got the 'time to go to class' cue
My one time Cell group leader or was it Floor representative?
Who later relied fully on grace to come for Chapel services herself.lol
A very confident, friendly and eloquent lady
Lamide's been first to do everything for a while now 


From Folakemi to the School bus...

A toast to friendship in its natural form;

Thick, thin, stressful, annoying, beautiful

We Are, may still be for longer than we all think

Most importantly, We met...still communicate.

Yourstruly,
TRULYAdlyne