IF YOU LOVE ME, HOLD ME

Hold me,
not just my hand,
but all of me.
Wrap your arms around my body
like you know what it’s been through.
Like you’ve heard the storms it carries
and still want to dance in the rain with me.

Take my hand,
don’t ask where we’re going.
Let’s run,
not to escape,
but to feel free
for the first time in a long time.

Hold my heart,
gently,
like it’s the last soft thing in a hard world.
Place it close to yours,
let them beat together
in a rhythm only we understand.

Touch my waist like it’s sacred.
Pull me into your chest
like you’re pulling me into forever.
And when you kiss me,
don’t make it rushed.
Kiss me like you’re trying to teach time
how to slow down.

If one tear falls—just one,
don’t panic.
Wipe it.
Don’t ask if I’m okay,
just look at me like you see everything
and say,
“It’s going to be alright.”
And mean it.

When I say I’m cold,
don’t go looking for a sweater.
Be the warmth.
Be the safe place I curl into
when the night gets too loud.

And when I say “I love you,”
don’t whisper it back.
Say it like a vow.
Say it like your soul recognizes mine.
Say it like you’re not going anywhere.

Because real love
isn’t made of grand gestures.
It’s in how you stay,
how you see me,
how you reach for me in silence.

So if you love me,
hold me,
not just in your arms,
but in your everyday.

@Okelododdychitchats

SILENCE IS THE DEATH OF US

Dear Corporate,

I know you like your linen white.
White as milk.
With no stains, no creases,
And no voices too loud or opinions too strong.
You want clean reputations,
Clean photos, clean silence.

You like me better
When I just show up, smile, hit targets,
Say “yes sir” to everything and go home.
You like me better
When I keep the fire in my belly out of your boardroom.
When I don’t question, when I don’t care too much.

But here’s what you forget,

I was me before I became your employee.
I had a voice before I had your email signature.
I had convictions before I had a clock-in code.
And I’m not about to trade all that in
For job security and polite applause.

I love justice.
The same way you love KPIs.
I care about this country,
The same way you care about brand image.

So when you see me at a protest,
Don’t flinch.
I’m not unstable.
I’m not rebellious.
I’m just awake.

When I call out corruption,
I’m not ruining your name,
I’m protecting it.
Because if systems rot,
Your success does too.

When I tweet in anger,
It’s not because I’m angry all the time.
It’s because I still believe that things can change.
That voices matter. That silence is too heavy to carry anymore.

I’m not asking for much.

Just this,
Don’t punish me for caring.
Don’t blacklist me for believing.
Don’t put me in a corner
Because I refuse to play blind.

I want to work.
I want to grow.
But I also want to live in a country where truth doesn’t cost you your job.

Let me speak.
Let me stand.
Let me protest, cry out, and still walk into your office on Monday morning with purpose.
Because fighting for what’s right
And showing up for work
Aren’t enemies.
They’re both signs I give a DAMN.

So no,
I’m not mad.
I’m not disloyal.
I’m just patriotic.
And I won’t whisper that.

Sincerely,
Still the right person for the job. Just louder.

@okelododdychitchats

Silenceisthedeathofus #Speak #PoeticJustice #Justice #Justice4AlbertOjwang #SpeakUp #Corruption #EndCorruption

The Sound of Love (In Three Words)

There is a river in my chest,
its current stirred by longing.
I have wrestled with syllables,
wrestled them like Jacob with the angel,
and still, they slipped from me.

I’ve summoned sonnets like old friends,
dressed up my ache in velvet metaphors,
cradled my truth in gilded rhyme,
but still, the soul was unclothed.

Words, those proud and peacock things,
marched across parchment
but none bore the weight
of my trembling heart.

Then came silence.
And out of silence,
three humble drumbeats:

I. Love. You.

They stood,
not as grand orators,
but as gospel.

Simple.
Sacred.
Enough.

@okelododdychitchats

Still, I Write

I hate words.

They slip in when I don’t want them to,
curl around me like smoke,
sharp at the edges, soft in the middle,
always taking more than they give.

They crash like waves, loud and relentless,
dig into places I thought were safe,
fill up the quiet until it isn’t quiet anymore.
And when they cut, they cut deep.

But I use them anyway.
I shape them, mold them, send them out into the world,
let them dance across pages, spill from my lips,
like I trust them, like they’ve never left scars.

And yeah, I’m good at it.
Words are how I find my way,
how I turn the mess into meaning,
how I make sense of the silence.

But not all words are gentle.
Some hit like fists, sharp and sudden,
slice through moments that should’ve been soft.
They linger in the air long after they’re spoken,
turning into ghosts that refuse to leave.

So if I ever throw the wrong ones your way,
don’t let them fester.
Call me out. Make me see.
Because I know words can wound,
can twist, can take more than they were meant to.

Still, I write.
Even when my hands shake.
Even when the words don’t feel safe.
Because somewhere beneath it all,
where kindness still breathes,
I know there’s light waiting to be found.

Words can build or break.
They can hold you together or tear you apart.
And maybe, if I get them right,
they’ll be enough to bring me home.

@okelododdychitchats

It’s 2025

2024 was one hell of a year.

It started with so much hope. I had plans, big plans, to leave certain things behind, and to be honest, I did. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The struggles came too, hard and fast, but somehow, God showed up every single time.

I’m not the kind of person to stand in front of a church and give a testimony, not me. But today, I felt tempted. I’m writing this right here in church, and it’s probably the fifth time I’ve been here this whole year. One of my goals for 2024 was to go to church every Sunday. I tried, I really did. January was great, I was consistent. But then life happened, and somewhere along the way, I got lost. I try again in 2025

So now, I’m sitting at the back, on the right-hand side of the church. I’ve never sat here before, and I can’t help but notice how full it is today. It’s never been like this. Seeing so many people here, God’s children gathered under one roof, it makes me happy. This place feels alive, like a marketplace of blessings. And I’m here to claim mine, to carry me through 2025.

I’m not writing a long list of goals this time. I’ve learned something about life, it doesn’t follow a formula. There’s no perfect plan. All I know is that the effort I’m going to put in this year will get me where I need to be. That’s it. Simple.

I don’t have much to say, really. I’m just thankful. Thankful that I’m here, alive, and hopeful again. Thankful for a chance to start over.

So goodbye, 2024. You were tough, you were beautiful, you were messy. But it’s time to move on.

Here’s to 2025. Let’s go.

And this is my Prayer,

I know I messed up along the way
But God, just give me a chance to say
I am trouble, I am a f up
But give me another chance to make up

I’ve made mistakes, I won’t deny
But please, don’t let this be goodbye
I’m begging you, hear my plea
I know I can be better, just wait and see

I’ve stumbled and fallen, lost my way
But I’m asking for your grace today
I’ve let you down, I’ve let myself down
But I promise, I won’t wear this frown

I know I don’t deserve your love
But I’m hoping for a sign from above
To guide me back onto the right path
To escape this cycle of wrath

I know I’ve caused pain and hurt
But I’m willing to do the work
To make amends, to right my wrongs
To sing a new and hopeful song

I may be broken, I may be flawed
But I believe in the power of God
To grant me forgiveness, to show me the way
To a brighter and better day

I know I don’t deserve a second chance
But please, just give me one more dance
To prove that I can change and grow
To show that I can bloom and glow

I am a sinner, I am a saint
I am a puzzle, missing a paint
But with your help, I can be whole
With your guidance, I can reach my goal

So please, God, just give me a chance
To show that I can rise and dance
To show that I can mend my ways
And live out my remaining days

I know I messed up along the way
But God, just give me a chance to say
I am ready to face my fears
And dry up all these tears

I know I am a f up, I’ve been trouble
But I believe I can burst this bubble
With your grace, with your love
I know I can rise above

This is my prayer, my plea
To be the person you want me to be
To walk the path you’ve set for me
To live a life that’s pure and free

So please, God, just hear my cry
And give me a chance to try
To be the best version of me
To live a life that’s full and free

I know I don’t deserve it, I know I’m not perfect
But with your help, I know I can resurrect
My spirit, my soul, my heart
And make a fresh new start

So please, God, just give me a chance
To prove that I can advance
To a place of peace and light
To a future that’s bright

I know I messed up along the way
But God, just give me a chance to pray
To ask for forgiveness, to seek redemption
To find a path to salvation

I know I am a f up, I’ve caused trouble
But I believe I can burst this bubble
With your mercy, with your grace
I know I can find my place

So please, God, just give me a chance
To mend my ways, to make amends
To create a life that’s true
To become the person you always knew

I know I don’t deserve it, I know I’m not worth it
But with your love, I know I can unearth it
The strength, the courage, the will
To break free from this endless drill

So please, God, just give me a chance
To find my purpose, to enhance
My life, my soul, my being
To finally find that feeling

Of peace, of joy, of love
That only comes from above
So please, don’t turn away
Just give me another chance today.

@okelododdychitchats