African Mama

She wakes at the crack of dawn,
Lighting the fire,
As the smoke crawls its way to show for it,
Just by the crow of the cockerel,
She pounds the wet earth.

Mama we are proud of you

Yes,
The food we eat,
It is by the pounded maize to become flour,
And the green leafy vegetables that she planted.

From the time your blood and flesh was born,
And the time you breastfed them,
It is a wonder to be a mother.

Give praise for mama

She shed tears for years,
Prayed for you,
That you may go through school.

All the struggles and sleepless nights,
Days of hunger in sacrifice,
Only to see her children fly to foreign lands,
That is the work of her hands.

You have to be truly African to understand this,
To only fathom and experience,
It may sound ancient,
But that is the true beauty and essence,
Of an African mama.

I love you.