An African mother’s life can be hard
Because it is a lifetime commitment
To mother.
Like mothers everywhere on God’s earth.
You have to have reserves of energy.
You can’t retire
Even though you can sometimes enjoy retirement benefits.
You mother even if you never gave birth
Because you are;
An aunt,
A great aunt,
A sister to a mother.
A neighbour.
A village that helps mother the children,
The men-children and men.
An African mother’s life is joy
Because she mothers from the heart.
She creates her own joy.
The well of unconditional love deep inside
Her heart is like the Well of Jacob.
A place where the bruised are soothed,
The broken are healed,
The outcasts made whole again.
Mothering accepts all.
Loves all.
Hears all.
Mothers all.
Also by this poet:
is a Zimbabwean short fiction writer currently living in the UK. He is a teacher of English, Accounting and Business Studies, and a budding poet. He writes poetry out of love for the genre and to create resources to teach unseen poetry skills. His other poetry has been self-published on social media. His short stories have been published in magazines, e-magazines and journals including the Edinburgh Review. He is currently teaching GCSE English and A Level English Literature in the United Kingdom while working on a collection of short stories.