The Women Who Raised Me
“We was born to mothers who couldn't deal with usLeft by fathers who wouldn't build with us”
I’m the son of a loud and obnoxious father who is absent
I was raised by women who built me up
And men who wouldn’t build with me
My grandmother, Ouma Sag, is warmth and chaos,
A rough and tough Kallit woman
Who married into the Xhosa culture,
‘La gogo we Lawu’
She taught me Afrikaans and gave me my love of tea
She is afraid of the government and white people
Considering her history,
Rightly so
My mother is noise and structure
She likes things being in their place
She’s the hardest working person I know
Life hasn’t been kind to her,
In response, she’s one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet
She’s a bit of a busybody, though
She likes getting involved in everyone’s business,
In a good-natured, well-meaning way
My aunt, my Mam’ncane, is quiet and chaos
She doesn’t like people much
And minds her business
She’s fiercely intelligent
Her focus and determination inspire me to keep pushing myself further
My sister is cheek and chaos
She’s all attitude, that one
Always ready to put people in their place
She’s crazy and fierce
Her fire burns hot and bright
I hope that she sets the world on fire
With her excellence one day
I am all of these characteristics,
With a generous serving of anxiety on the side
But all the good qualities I do have,
I get from these wonderful women
Who raised me
1 comment:
Going to publish this someday! Too beaut!
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