Where water meets the sky and silence speaks
"Ripples is a quiet, soul-stirring collection where each poem casts a stone into the still waters of memory, sending gentle waves through the heart that linger long after the last page is turned."
THE COLLECTION
Midnight Reflections
It was the darkest hour;
When silence spoke louder than sound,
And hearts confessed what daylight denied.
In the quietest most mysterious parts of the night,
The world felt suspended
Between dream and reality.
Shadows lingered where whispers had been,
And even the stars seemed unsure whether to shine or listen.
Somewhere a memory stirred;
Soft as breath, sharp as longing.
And in that fragile stillness,
Truth uncloaked itself,
Asking nothing but to be seen.
©️ 2025 Hadiza Bagudu
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Homebody
There is a certain kind of peace that comes with being at home -
Spending time alone, far from the noise of the crowd, the judgments, the fake nice-ssities, and chaos.
To be with your thoughts and emotions, and let creativity flow.
Fewer distractions, more introspection.
To be immune from social demands and external stimulation; leads to creativity, imagination, and innovation,
Most people require social interaction and external validation, a thirst for endless connection
But for me, peace looks like staying home alone.
Different strokes for different folks.
Far be it from me to judge.
But if I have to choose -
I'd choose home.
©️ 2025 Hadiza Bagudu
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The Leak
I carried the water carefully, so none would spill.
When I reached home, the bucket was half empty,
I stood there wondering where it went.
Something once whole slowly losing what it held.
I checked for cracks, I checked for holes,
In the end, I had to admit:
There was a leak where none should be.
©️ 2025 Hadiza Bagudu
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The Sound of Raindrops
I woke up to the sound of raindrops,
Cold, haunting stabs on my roof.
There was no warning,
There was no forecast.
The weather changed overnight.
©️ 2025 Hadiza Bagudu
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Love is Dead
Intimacy is weaponised,
Dating, a power play.
A battle of dominance,
Not affection.
They make you feel safe,
Then drop you from a great height,
To feast on the supply,
The deeper the trust, the sweeter the betrayal.
Marriage is but a performance,
A mask worn for the crowd.
Lies and deceit flow easily,
Disrespect becomes routine.
No more burning flame,
For a love long gone.
No gentle light remains,
Lit by memory alone.
Pain is all that is left,
Hate and heartbreak,
And a harvest of regrets,
For love, unfortunately, is already dead.
©️ 2025 Hadiza Bagudu
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Flower
Flower
Flower
Flower sees the sun
Flower feels happy
Flower opens
Flower
Flower
Flower misses the sun
Flower feels sad
Flower closes
©️ 2025 Hadiza Bagudu
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Stillness
Not the absence of motion,
But the presence of everything.
Waiting—
The held breath before the dive,
The pause between heartbeats,
The moment when the pendulum hangs,
Perfectly balanced before surrendering to gravity.
In this space, we find what moves
When nothing seems to move at all.
©️ 2025 Hadiza Bagudu
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Reflections
The water shows me
Not what I am,
But what I might become
If I dared
To fall in—
A version
Unbound
By gravity,
Spreading outward,
Touching edges
I cannot see,
Distorted
By the mercy
Of ripples,
Beautiful
In the way
That only
Broken things
Can be.
©️ 2025 Hadiza Bagudu
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The Weight of Unsaid Things
They accumulate like sediment,
Layer upon layer,
Until we are walking on the floor
Of an ocean we never meant to drown in.
Each word unspoken
A stone in the pocket,
Each silence
A current pulling Deeper.
We learn to breathe the heavy water,
Gesture instead of speak, Nod instead of cry,
Until the unsaid becomes
The only language we are fluent in—
And no one can hear us Drowning.
©️ 2025 Hadiza Bagudu
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Ripples
The stone forgets,
But the water remembers
Every disturbance,
Expanding circles
Of consequence,
Touching shores
Unseen by the thrower.
What we cast
Into the depths
Does not sink
Without trace;
It travels outward,
A liquid echo,
Distorting reflections,
Moving lilies,
Until the whole pond
Bears the signature
Of our small
Act of letting go.
©️ 2025 Hadiza Bagudu
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Between Stars and Water
There is a place
Where the sky kneels down
To touch its own reflection,
Where stars drown slowly
In the black mirror
Of the lake,
And we stand at the edge,
Neither fully earth,
Nor quite air.
Believing, for a moment,
That we could step out
And walk among them,
Our feet disturbing
The heavens,
Sending galaxies
Rippling
Toward the shore.
©️ 2025 Hadiza Bagudu
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Echo
There are words
That never leave the mouth,
Yet they travel—
Through memory,
Through longing,
Through quiet nights.
And somehow,
They return,
louder
In silence.
©️ 2025 Hadiza Bagudu
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Soft Hours
Time does not rush here.
It unfolds,
Like light through curtains,
Like breath in sleep.
These are the hours
No one claims,
Yet they belong
Entirely
To the soul.
©️ 2025 Hadiza Bagudu
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Calm
The silence does not break,
It deepens.
Like water untouched by wind,
Holding the sky
Without trembling.
I sit within it,
Not seeking answers,
Only the softness
Of not knowing.
©️ 2025 Hadiza Bagudu
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About the Author
Writer • Storyteller • Observer of quiet things
Hadiza Bagudu is a Nigerian author, poet, and storyteller whose work explores stillness, memory, and the quiet emotional landscapes of everyday life.
With a background in Political Science and International Relations, her writing blends imagination with reflection—bridging cultural depth and personal insight.
Her work spans poetry and fiction, often moving between silence and expression, softness and strength.