//ABOUT THIS BLOG...
Years ago, I picked up a fascination with names...their meanings...the rhythms behind them. I chose to respond to it poetically.
This blog's a collection of some of the name poems I've written over the years.
ORDER A POEM: If you'd like a name poem written for you or someone you care about, please email me at thenamepoet@gmail.com.
(This name poem was written for a child. Her name was made up by the parent.)
If the whole world
gave up on love,
if love gave up
on itself,
I'd still love you…
~
If I had to choose
between the company of angels
and you,
there'd be no choice...
I'd tell the angels
to look for some other poor soul to bless
'cos if I could,
I'd kiss the sun onto your eyelids
so you'd never know a dark day
I'd wrap the rainbow
round your waist,
paint your little toes with clouds,
command the mountains
to speak of the beauty
I (so) see in you
~
If every smile from you
took a year away from me,
it'd be a life well spent
for if I came to my last breath,
I'd say "I love you"
my last breath
well spent...
©Copyright - the name poet.
(This name poem was inspired by a friend.)
The Creator
is the greatest make-up artist I know.
He fashioned your third eye
with Egyptian kohl.
Dark kohl
against
bright eyes
smiling eyes
truthful eyes
loving eyes
Never question why He created Darkness,
why He created those days
when your soul cowers
under the weight of the world,
those days when
the only thing sustaining you
is hope...
For in the spiritual laboratory,
when light is compared
with light,
all you see is light
but when light is compared
with darkness,
that’s when you see
its TRUE brightness.
Dark kohl
against
bright eyes
smiling eyes
truthful eyes
loving eyes
There is no need to say
what your name means…
Your eyes say it all.©Copyright - the name poet.
[Maha means 'light' in Swahili - female]
(I was asked to write this name poem for a child.)
Only God can judge youbut He's too busy doing interviewsso, Mother Nature's taken overalas, she's not the judgmental typerather, she's an artistgiving away her works of art for free.That laughter of yours - a musical composition arranged by hershe took the sound of rain,wrapped it in silk,spun it for days upon days,then left it out to dry on an angel's harp...and that became your laughter.Mother Natureain't judgmentalShe has better things to dolike give you 100 reasonswhy she thinks you're beauty-full(in the guise of 100 scuttling ladybirdscurved into a smile).©Copyright - the name poet.
[Daniela means 'God is judge' in Hebrew - female]
(I have a particular fondness for Swahili names. Not sure why. I've written more name poems inspired by KiSwahili than any other names. Uhuru is Swahili for Freedom.)
Freedom is Freedom is Freedom
and no matter what history may tell you
freedom cannot be bought or sold
It is within you
Always has been
Waiting for you to realise
Waiting for you to remember
History is His story is His story
His story
not yours
For a bottle of spring water
is not
and can never be
as pure
as the source from whence it came
The Source is The Source is The Source
The source is in your genes
Science
Archaeology
Theology
Different schools of thought
Running helter-skelter
Bumping into each other
Searching for Eden in ancient books and bones
when you know and I know
that you were the first on the throne
'cos it's all there
Yes
in your genes
The Source
The Truth
Eden
Genesis
Alpha
Numero Uno
The Truth is The Truth is The Truth
The Truth is that you are Uhuru
Liberated
Free
You are Uhuru
No matter what his story may tell you
©Copyright - the name poet.
Zion's clearly reflected in your eyes
Happiness has found a new home in you.
Angels told me this:
Kindness will always be your virtue,
Intelligence will be your gift.
Your ancestors are proud of you
Africa is proud
Hear her; she sings for you.
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Zhakiya means 'smart, intelligent' in Swahili - female]
(I was asked to write a name poem for a newborn. I guess I could've penned an acrostic name poem as is commonly done for children, and sometimes I do, but for this, a free-flowing poem is what emerged)
Your name honours the sea
She honours you in return
by carving your nails
from the most delicate of her shells,
your tears from her finest salts,
and making seagulls your life-time guardians.
Swimming
is your first language
for it was the sea
that taught you
how to swim
to the womb.
At dark, her mermaids creep ashore.
Shhhhhhhh....
They listen to you through shells
to make sure you're okay while you sleep.
Somewhere out there, Dylan,
is a dolphin
born the same time as you.
Yes.
It awaits your friendship.
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Dylan - Welsh name meaning 'Great tide' - male]
OF INTEREST: A Child's Name Mug: Dylan
As I walk
through a library of memories,
my eyes fall on a book,
a thick leather-bound book.
I open and read of a Pharaoh
who had the courage of a Masai warrior
with arms that could weld the heaviest sword
and yet ...gently rock a child to sleep.
He was never afraid to stand firmly
in his own light,
in his own beauty,
his own wisdom.
His people loved him
and he loved his people.
Reluctantly,
ever so reluctantly,
I close this book
knowing it is not mine.
If you choose to read it,
to intimately reacquaint yourself
with each and every page,
you'll discover this book
...is about you.
You are that Pharaoh,
that warrior
if you choose to remember.
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Ade - Yoruba/Nigerian name meaning 'Royal One' - male]
name poem
If water was once turned to wine,
let the wine be a symbol
of all things that are possible
for miracles
are just possibilities
our hearts aren't used to.
You can move mountains
if you choose to
Hold the sun in your palm
if you choose to
Bring dead trees back to life
if you choose
Make the wind follow your every move
if you choose.
You...
can make the clouds form
into the shape of your hips,
make the stars constellate your name,
make the whole world stop
and listen to your pain.
Tell the cock not to crow
and it'll obey
Tell the rain not to fall
and it won't
Think in currencies of peace
and one day,
there will be.
Water into wine:
a symbol
of all things possible.
For miracles
are just possibilities
our hearts aren't used to.
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Ghelila means 'Galilee' (Ethiopian)]
Anyone ever tell you you're
Naturally huggable?
Totally adorable?
Hilariously clumsy?
Outrageously funny?
Notably wacky?
Yummingly mine?
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Anthony means 'worthy of praise' in Greek.]
Strength...
rolls off your tongue
in an effortless whisper
as eloquent mouths
are struck dumb
Sealed shut
by the beauty you wear.
Your soul cannot be paraphrased
or your essence pigeon-holed
For bottles were a myth,
genies were born free.
And so you dance in an open field
as liberation rests on your eyelashes
and Summer plaits itself into your hair
And so, you,
brimming with determination,
find the pot of gold
at the end of the rainbow
but take nothing -
realising that a lash
weighs a lot more
A lot more...
And so I, with nimble feet,
dance with you
in that open field
forever holding your unselfish hands
as we whiz round and round
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!
'til we're both dizzyyyyyyyy with mutual trust
collapsing in a giggly heap
...of true friendship.
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Grace - Latin origin meaning 'blessing'.]
OF INTEREST: A Child's Name Mug: Grace
Look at me...
Do you see my father reflected in my eyes?
Do you see his smile folded into mine?
His past and my future intertwined?
Touch me...
Can you feel my father's spirit in mine?
His wisdom, his intelligence, his determination?
My wisdom, my intelligence, my determination?
See the love my father has for my mother?
That their love enticed me from God's arms?
Led me into theirs?
Can you see I am only as worthy
as the God who created me?
Nothing more - nothing less?
Look at me...
See me...
For my father is here.
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Namdi or Nnamdi is an Igbo name (Nigeria) meaning 'my father is present'.]
There is
a smile,
a gentleness
in her name.
There is
the soft patter
of rain
in her name.
The rain uses the roof
of a thatched hut
as its drum.
Inside,
children sit eagerly
around the old man.
He tells a story
of a bird
with wings spanning
the length & breadth
of India
black feathers
meticulously groomed
by Mother Nature
sight – sharp enough to see
into the hearts of men
and when she flew
oh, when she flew,
the meaning of life
became quite clear.
The gods named her Teleica
for only she had the courage
to pull the phoenix
out of the ashes.
The old man paused with a smile
as the children repeated her name
and listened to her drum softly
on the roof
of their thatched hut.
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Teleica is derived from the Hindu name, Talika. It means 'Bird'.]
Joy is mine, little one Of all the dreams God planned, he Sent me you. Happiness is mine, little one Unbuckle my heart Attach it to your smile, forever...©Copyright - the name poet.
[Joshua means 'God Saves' in Hebrew]
Of interest: A Child's Name Mug: Joshua
He looks in the mirror
He likes what he sees
No need for a shave
He likes what he sees
He likes what he sees
'cos every nation
(past and present)
has a place - a space
in his reflection
He runs the bath...
The Caribbean Sea flows from the hot tap
The Pacific from the other
Adding 5, 6, 7, 8 drops of Cuban salsa,
his spirit slides in
The bennu bird taught him
how to breathe
how to be free
how to float
in the creative sea
And now he soaks
in the sea that resides within him
He steps out of the bath
dries himself with the warmth that flows
from Ra's devoted gaze
Holding sunbeams firmly
in the palm of his soul,
he smiles.
Now he can teach the caged bird
how to be free...
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Kubara is a self-made name. The name is a combination of:
1) Kuba - a nation of people who live in the Congo & in the Pacific Ocean;
2) the Caribbean island of Cuba
3) Ba - the spirit force;
4) and Ra, the Sun God.]
I hold you up to the sky
the way our ancestors would
the way I would a piece of precious stone,
emerald green,
gleaming
and marvel at you.
Maybe it was
the old lady
I helped across the road
She smiled at me
like she knew me
maybe
she was an angel
maybe...you sent her
to test me
to see if I'd really love you
the way your future told you I would.
I love you…
it's as simple as that.
How can I not
when your smile melts chocolate,
when I watch you sleep
in complete awe and disbelief
Still, I hold you up to the sky
emerald green
Waiting...
Knowing that,
just like yesterday,
the stars will tell me
you are mine.
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Jada is derived from 'Jade' which means 'Precious Stone']
I watched you sway, sashay, shimmer
Watched you glide, float, fly
towards me
Butterfly - with a human face
I watched angels sprinkle-dust you
with cinnamon-scented grace
Elegance known only to goddesses
Watched them hide the key to their beauty
deep within your smile
knowing that there, yes, it would be safe
like I am - with you
Watched a whirlwind of lilacs
whip past me
and settle in a heart-shaped pattern
at your feet
as Nature placed a rose
behind your ear,
and hugged you and hugged you,
then giggled off into the sunset
Aaah...
alone at last
sway, sashay, shimmer
glide, float, fly
towards me
Sweet butterfly
Gentlest of human faces
The very essence of grace
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Jayne means 'Gracious' in Hebrew]
Hold your face up
to the sun.
Feel its rays
warm your heart.
That's peace.
Feel the wind
move your soul
with the gentleness
of a shy breeze.
That's peace.
Hold a butterfly
in the palm
of your hand.
Better yet…
Dance in the rain.
Be a raindrop.
There you will find peace.
You know peace.
It was the first breath
you took.
You will never forget peace
a revelation
renewed
as you breathe
your last.
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Bem means 'Peace' in Tiv (Nigeria)]
Give me an inch of your smile
Indulge me with your cheekiness
Or just give me a hug
Vibrant in your quiet energy
A gentle soul
Never have I felt...so proud
Never have I felt so much...love
I have you for a son.
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Giovanni means 'God is gracious' in Italian]
Just when I thought
All was lost, you
Came along
Oranged my blues
Blew me into the light
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Jacob means 'Supplanter' in Hebrew]
I am
the first raindrop
the first light
the first tree
Embrace me...
I am
the first whisper
the first thought
the first smile
Revere me...
I am
the first hue-man
the first wo-man
the first mother
Respect me...
I am
Hawa
I am
Africa
Embrace
Revere
Respect
©Copyright - the name poet.
[Hawa means 'Eve' in Swahili]
