Mother's Love

When I graced the earth right from your belly, it was your arms that gave me solace. The cruelty of the earth couldn’t find me wanting neither did the gods find me. I was hidden in your arms. The safest of everywhere I would ever be.

You cried when I couldn’t get well quick. Your soft-strong arms held me safe while you called on heaven to free me from those unwanted visitors. You cried when I couldn’t stop crying in the dead of the night.

You fought sleep to stay up and gallant when I couldn’t sleep. When I sleep at dawn, you stay awake for sleep visits the grown only at night. It was your body that provided me succour, my food was in your body and that only could I eat or I die.

Now you have raised a man. Through thick and thin you struck the African machete on the thick grasses that needed youth to pull. Your hoe on the other side, you ploughed like a man. Worked the field that I may join the sons of others in pursuit of knowledge.

Mother, your struggles through the labour room to the thick farms on bare foot have yielded a great fruit. From your toil has a man emerged who towers above the sky. Those who laugh last, laugh the best. Now, mother, you laugh last and your laughter has become the best.