I hope you notice the fading scars
Yes my wounds are healing gradually
I could have run off in a heartbeat
When hell splashed its magma and lava
My limbs were too weak
To carry me far from my worries
If I had fallen by the road side
Many would have scorned, smiling at my fate
Though with much pity in their eyes
I am an African woman
We live in a home, not a house
My children are my pride
They are my joy, my strength
In them resides my hope
Yes my husband is a beast
Who devours his own flesh and blood
But this home is mine and I must keep it
And savor the brief moments of peace
*In response to KIS’s ‘BEGGAR WITHOUT A CHOICE’, it looks easy to walk away from a family, because of all the tribulations. Yes, it is so ugly seeing a man beat a woman, in fact it is dehumanizing, but a strong woman knows it’s better to keep her family together at all cost.
This poem is intended for all the mothers that suffered so that their children could have a home. You wouldn’t understand the strength of character until you have actually experienced one.
Written by: Charles Bernard Aghadi
Edited by: Kukogho Iruesiri Samson
