LET'S TAKE A WALK MAMA

LET’S TAKE A WALK MAMA

By Tiisetso M Thiba

Let’s take a walk mama

To heights of eighties when I was new

To this earth of misery

Let’s walk and talk

About life

When your heart was not pleased

By the erstwhile situation

And you were still

Young and beautiful

Like a young cute rose

With colour so bright

And many souls want to sniff

Its fresh and pleasant aroma

Let’s continue to shuffle air mama

And talk about papa

When he was young too

And had a big ideal

Which his age lad didn’t have

You both walked down the aisle

Before tea bags under your eyes

And continue to show

You that he is a real man

A real deal

A unique and dignified man

He provided enough for us to survive

He pulled all strings down

To tell us what life entails

Because we were still blind

With no need for sticks to walk

Our eyes were wide open though

He is a light that needs no boost to shine

Don’t leave me behind mama

I want to walk step by step with you

When Pabi breathe the air for the first time

Tiny and so cute

Whooping like a baby in pain

At night, you were strong indeed

To witness what owls talk about

At night when she weeps for nothing

After twenty four months

Papas landed too, to increase our number

What a meek soul he is

Polite and with a voice box like mine

I reminisce his deeds mama

When his mind was full of aquatic

He was so short tempered like a lion

Hold my hand tight mama

Therefore I can feel your heartbeat in my palm

Do you remember when Nthabi

Arrived to conclude your

Wished kids’ chapter?

She has stolen Papa’s looks

She is so bright upstairs like a full moon

She is also used to cries too much

At night like Pabie did

A beautiful and much revering girl

We were all heavy on your back

Feeding us from your breast

To grow and be strong and firm

Like you and Papa

Let’s walk slowly mama

My chest is burning

And I’m smelling blood thru my nostrils

I know you have been thru

Hills and downs in life

You have been drowning in milady of life

Because you are strong as steel that refuse to bend

You have made it thru all odds

Mama I was there and my eyes

Perceived every scene occurring

Even today you are still strong and firm like a fiddle

They say God works in a mysterious ways

Indeed he does

Phoney souls portrayed saint spirit

But they are only people living in a glass houses

Let’s pull our feet to rest Mama

Life is too short but we will be here for a while

* Mr Thiba is a South African poet, short story writer, and literary activist