Passionate Pearls of Wisdom: Poetry & Prose

By Valentine A. Gana

Language is a medium of communication, a tool of entertainment, a store of knowledge, a preserve of history, and an indispensable tool of the successful. If language is a plant, then poetry is the blossoming flower of the plant with colors that capture your attention. Passionate Pearls of Wisdom, Poetry and Prose is an inspiring, entertaining, and interwoven expression of the writers observations, experiences, and passions about diverse subjects that include the African Village, His Father (The Mystery of Tegum), Love, Passion, Romance, Marriage and Divorce, Christmas, Laughter and a moving piece about Nelson Mandela, a human tower of our time.

The wise say what lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. The author uses the gift of language and poetry to dial into what lies within us. In this moving piece of work, every chapter ends with inspiring and motivational thoughts and quotes. Some of these quotable quotes are original thoughts of the writer, while others are borrowed from great thinkers such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Jefferson, William Tegum Gana, Dick Cavett, Abraham Maslow, Albeit Einstein, Warren Buffet and many more.

Passionate Pearls symbolizes the writers inability to escape from poetry, his true gift in life. He trusts you will find every poem an entertaining and inspiring read as well as literary fountains that rejuvenate the passions of your soul. Amongst these poems is the "Journey to An African Village", a tantalizing commentary which will capture your attention and present you with an exciting window to experience this subsistent, tropical, and serene lifestyle. The Mystery of Tegum is a moving rendition of the authors father, the Abraham of his life. It is a tribute to a man who was unique in every way, special to all he encountered, treasured through the fruits of his vision and loving memories which stack up to the heavens. Nelson Mandela is a deserving poetic ode to a tower of humanity. This well crafted piece will give you a glimpse of the sacrifices that led to the birth of the present Nation of South Africa.

Love, relationships, and their intertwined complexities are addressed in a myriad of poems which range from My Childhood Sweetheart, Genie in the Bottle, The Vengeance of His Past, A Painful Journey from Love through Impatience to Divorce, The Witch Doctors Loving Curse, Sweet Thoughts of Sarah and many others which will leave you asking for more. The rhythm in the works, the transformation of words into exquisite literary gems of pleasure, and the passion embedded in the poems tells of a well polished and distinguished writer. At the embryonic concept of a thought, the writer goes into a mental trance of creativity and emerges with colorful butterflies of linguistic flare. He blends his own experiences, his keen observations as well as the beauty of his imagination to create masterpieces which will leave you asking for more.

The inspiring and motivational thoughts also embody the promise of becoming a daily source of meditation as well as literary pearls that propel us to seek the best in ourselves and in others. These passionate pearls of learned wisdom, flowing poetry and uplifting prose he shares with himself, with the world, and with the history of literary art. With these humble steps, he traverses these lanes, fully conscious of his privilege. It is a journey whose inspiration aspires to challenge minds, titillate nerves and uplift souls. Strap on your seatbelts of desire, and enjoy the ride.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 7, 2005
• ISBN: 9781469100616

Valentine A. Gana

Valentine Gana was born in 1969 in Bamenda, Cameroon. He was educated in Cameroon Protestant College Bali and in the Cameroon College of Arts Science and Technology, Bambili. He earned a Diploma in Business Management from the University of Senshu-Japan in 1991, and a Bachelors of Science in Economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1995. He has written for several publications including the Lincoln Journal Star. He resides in Overland Park, Kansas. Passionate Pearls of Wisdom, Poetry and Prose is a talented, inspiring, and uplifting parade of a gift of privilege. It promises to wet our appetites and serve as a catalyst for more.

Book preview

Copyright © 2005 by Valentine A. Gana.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

Cover Picture – Menchum Falls, North West Province, Cameroon - Africa, Courtesy of Njei Moses Timah – www.njeitimah-outlook.com

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

Or order by mail from:

BrightStar Creations

P.O. Box 27262

Overland Park, Kansas 66225-7262

Tel: [phone]

28205

Contents

Dedication

Preface

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Chapter One

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Section 6

Section 7

Chapter Two

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Chapter Three

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Section 6

Chapter Four

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Section 6

Section 7

Chapter Five

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Glossary

About Author

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the memory of my dear father

William Tegum Gana

A man who was unique in every way

Special to all he encountered

Treasured through the fruits of his vision

And loving memories that stack up to the heavens

To him, to who he was, and for the countless blessings he

Bestowed upon us, I say Thank You.

You were and are a gift to us, that keeps giving.

Preface

Language is a medium of communication, a tool of entertainment, a store of knowledge, a preserve of history, and an indispensable tool of the successful. If language is a plant, then poetry is the blossoming flower of the plant with colors that capture your attention. Passionate Pearls of Wisdom, Poetry and Prose is an inspiring, entertaining, and interwoven expression of the writer’s experiences, observations and passions about diverse subjects that include the African Village, His Father (The Mystery of Tegum), Love, Passion, Romance, Marriage and Divorce, Christmas, Laughter and a moving piece about Nelson Mandela, a human tower of our time.

The wise say what lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. The author uses the gift of language and poetry to dial into that which lies within us. In this moving piece of work, every chapter ends with inspiring and motivational thoughts and quotes. Some of these quotes are original thoughts of the writer, while others are borrowed from great thinkers and leaders such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Jefferson, William Tegum Gana, Dick Cavett, Abraham Maslow, Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein, Warren Buffet and many more.

Passionate Pearls symbolizes the writer’s inability to escape from poetry, his true gift in life. He trusts you will find every poem an entertaining and inspiring read as well as literary fountains that rejuvenate the passions of your soul. Amongst these poems is the Journey to An African Village, a tantalizing commentary which will capture your attention and present you with an exciting window to experience this subsistent, tropical, and serene lifestyle.

The Mystery of Tegum is a moving rendition of the author’s father, the Abraham of his life. It is a tribute to a man who was unique in every way, special to all he encountered, treasured through the fruits of his vision and loving memories which stack up to the heavens. Nelson Mandela is a deserving poetic ode to a living legend and an epitome of strength, dignity and grace. This well crafted piece will give you a glimpse of the sacrifices that led to the birth of the present Nation of South Africa.

Love, relationships, and their intertwined complexities are addressed in a myriad of poems which range from My Childhood Sweetheart, Genie in the Bottle, The Vengeance of His Past, A Painful Journey from Love through Impatience to Divorce, The Witch Doctor’s Loving Curse, Sweet Thoughts of Sarah and many others which will leave you asking for more.

The rhythm in the works, the transformation of words into exquisite literary gems of pleasure, and the passion embedded in the poems tells of a well polished and distinguished writer. At the embryonic concept of a thought, the writer goes into a mental trance of creativity and emerges with colorful butterflies of linguistic flare. He blends his own experiences, his keen observations as well as the beauty of his imagination to create masterpieces.

The inspiring and motivational thoughts also embody the promise of becoming a daily source of meditation as well as literary pearls that propel us to seek the best in ourselves and in others. These passionate pearls of learned wisdom, flowing poetry and uplifting prose he shares with himself, with the world, and with the history of literary art. With these humble steps, he traverses these lanes, fully conscious of his privilege. It is a journey whose inspiration aspires to challenge minds, titillate nerves and uplift souls. Strap on your seatbelts of desire, and enjoy the ride.

Foreword

My life is a life of answered prayers through effort

It is a life of faith; an assurance of things hoped for

And the conviction of things not seen,

But pursued with passion, tenacity and determination

My life is a life of sacrifice and focus;

The indispensable path to the realization of dreams

It is a life of hope; the omnipresent beacon of my every pulse

My life is a life of love; the very foundation of faith and hope

Valentine A. GANA

Acknowledgements

Passionate Pearls of Wisdom, Poetry and Prose is a product which I eagerly look forward to sharing with you. I am humbled by all those who have been a source of strength, inspiration and motivation during this journey. Nothing we do however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we are inspired, encouraged, and enabled by love.

The love, dedication, sacrifice and generosity of Amy Dulin, Bernice Afuh, Chia Innocent, Kathy Woods, and Mungyeh Valentine just to name a few contributed towards editing Passionate Pearls, and offering valuable suggestions. If it weren’t for all of you, I would not be as confident as I am in the final product. Nothing which is true, beautiful or excellent reaches its full potential without an input from committed hearts. To you all, I owe a debt of gratitude.

My gratitude also goes to all those who were part of circumstances that inspired me to pen down my thoughts. Your presence in my life above all else, gave me a corridor to return to my true passion in life. Only time will reveal the value of your worth.

Chapter One

Section 1: Journey to an African Village

Section 2: The Mystery of Tegum

Section 3: A Tale from an African Fireside

Section 4: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

Section 5: Brief Biography of Nelson Rohlihlahla Mandela

Section 6: The Meditation in My Silence

Section 7: Inspirational and Motivational Thoughts

Section 1

Journey to an African Village

Crowned with culture, rhythm

And saddled with a zeal for nature’s simplicity

Blessed with contentment

And rooted in a happy subsistence with nature

The chattering sound of streams

Blended with the noisy busyness of birds

Beautiful skies of blue, trees of green

And streams oozing from rocky slopes

A treasured feeling of soliloquy

Surrounded by nature’s thrilling bounty

Doubtlessly a world at one with the past

In touch with the present, and hopeful for the future

Through the beauty of East Africa’s Serengeti

And the bounties of South Africa’s Sahel

On the peaks of Kenya’s Kilimanjaro

And within the valleys of the Rift Valley

From the jungles of Cameroon’s Korup forest

Within the Equator’s rich diversity

To the promise of South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope

Within the marvels of Nigeria’s Benin sculptures

And the intrigues of Senegalese carvings

Speaks a richness within the continent

And a people’s aspiration

An aspiration embodied in elegance

And the simplicity of Africa’s village

Ceaseless doses of Africa

Had been the source of my unblemished serenity

My journey commenced from Cameroon’s southern border with the Atlantic Ocean

As we drove out of Cameroon’s congested economic capital,

A sigh of relief I briefed

Though the hub of the Gulf of Guinea’s bustling oil economy,

Douala prides itself with the organization of a madman, magnified a thousand times

It is a lively enactment of the Africa we wish could decompose

From the outskirts of coastal and cosmopolitan Douala

The engine throttled through an endless stretch of greenery

Within our sight was the majestic, active and volcanic Mount Fako

Through the pineapple, pawpaw and orange plantations of Penja, and Njombe we drove

As the breeze gave the feeling of a civilization on wheels driving across Eden’s innocence

It was rainy season’s July

And freshness was in appealing abundance

The gushing streams of the undulating hills

Teasingly competed with

The