By Aliyu Maryam Alabere (U19MM11O5)
For the one who labors
so his family can wear new cloth each day,
while his own grows weary with time faded like forgotten songs.
Its edges fray,
its threads unravel
like the memories of the sacrifices they conceal.
Holes bloom across its surface
like shadows in lace Ankara.
For the one caught
between house rent and school fees,
between a call from home
and a task from the boss,
between his dreams
and the future of his progeny.
For the one who cannot cry
whose children’s tears of hunger
drive him out again
to seek, to endure,
to return with something
that keeps tomorrow alive.
Tags
Poetry