This is a poem I had to make for English Class, it was a special project
the teacher had left us as homework. I think it's the only thing I've written
that actually rhymes. (Tell me it rhymes, please! ;)
OH, MOTHER AFRICA, WHY ARE YOU CRYING?
The heat is unbearable, I know I won't stand it,
My eyelids are closing, this feeling's too deep,
stealing my strength as if it were a bandit...
Oh, I just can't help it, I fall down asleep.
All of a sudden, I wake up and look around.
The sun setting, gleaming like fire and such,
I gaze at the shadows cast dimly on the ground,
Oh, gods! It's too late, I must have slept too much!
I can't deny feeling rested, to say the least,
but I also feel lost, afraid and alone,
my mother's not nearby, I only can see the mist,
I cry for help but no one comes along.
I turn to the sky and notice a big cloud,
I stare at it, wondering if it can see me.
Smiling to myself, I call out loud:
"Hi, Mrs. Cloud, would you like to chat with me?"
I get a rumble for response, also a drip,
then comes another, falling down my back,
While looking at it, I almost lose my grip
when suddenly a thunder gleams bright in the dark.
Looking at the cloud with a trace of urgency,
my eyes blink repeteadly, for the water keeps falling,
I find my voice, and with abnormal fluency,
I shout: "Mother Africa, why are you crying?"
The cloud slowly parts, the stars shining bright.
I hear a voice calling me by my name then,
The voice sweet as honey and clear as the morning light
answers my question: "I cry for my children."
"What's wrong with your children?", I ask in awe.
"As years pass, their suffering grows more and more..."
The only word I can reply is an "Oh..."
"It's too sad my sons can't find what they are looking for."
I ask: "Is this thing they're looking for too hard to find?"
"They seek for answers, for happiness, for love and for peace..."
I can't understand her, so I try to clear my mind,
and although it's difficult for me, I gather on my knees.
"I see you don't get it, you innocent creature...
Your heart hasn't confronted pain or regret.
But these sons of mine think this world is a torture,
cause they pray for justice, but nothing they get."
"Don't be sad, Mother Africa, I do have good health,
my mother takes care of me and protects me from danger..."
"But my other sons also look for some wealth,
in order to survive and deaden their hunger."
"Wealth? What else is more valuable than the love of a mother?"
I still have many questions but I feel afraid to ask,
"You live in one world, yet they live in another,
so they need material things to complete their task."
"I see my sons, poor and homeless, and I can't help but crying,
knowing the're being mistreated, rejected and feeling so bad;
seeing that thanks to some rare disease, many of them are dying;
noticing painfully that this harsh situation is driving them mad."
I'm feeling confused. "Are you sure all of them feel the same way?"
"Some were luckier than others since the day they were born."
"Can the less lucky ones find their fortune somewhere far away?"
"That's hard to know; most remain here, feeling sad and forlorn."
I still look at the cloud, feeling her tears
as they fall and land over my spotted pelt,
sweeping away my doubts and my fears,
making me feel as I have never felt.
So, I realize how lucky I have been,
and thank God as I've never thanked him before,
because I've got health, and my senses are keen...
What else could a cheetah like me ask for?
And I also pray for the ones who are suffering,
I know that someday they're heart will be at ease.
As I talk to God, I can't help but listening
to the sound of some footsteps mingled with the breeze.
I turn my head and notice a slim body
coming towards me, carrying food in its muzzle,
I fix my gaze on it and notice it's my mommy,
She's back from the hunt and now she will nuzzle.
I feel her sweet breath, warm and tender,
making Mother Africa's tears a little less cold,
Someday I will grow just like mom, as big and slender,
one day she will leave me, cause she's getting old.
"Mom, tell Mother Africa everything will be fine..."
Her puzzled look makes me feel I won't succeed
in leading her to pray for Mother Africa's line
but she answers with a smile: "Everything will be fine, indeed."
Little by little, the tears stop falling.
All that is left is the odor of wet soil,
After a while, my mother and I start walking,
we go back to our home, away of the rain's turmoil.
