I will cry for my mother till my eyes grow sore

My father’s sister moved in the day after– she says her name is “second mummy”

 

Her body was only buried hours ago

But her replacement sits here trying to fit into her shoes

“Can you just take me with you, mummy?”

 

I will wail till I lose all my strength

life is too cruel for me to go on

 

it started with a slap and it ended with a slap that sent her down the stairs

to the first hit the pastor asked her to go home and to the last he prayed for her as she went home to God

Second mummy says crying will make me sick

“I will cry for my mother till my eyes turn sour”

 

“I will wail till I lose all my strength”

Years after I will tell this story to women

Let their children be ignorant of the pain I knew

 

I will help second mummy when daddy starts again

I will slap the pastor when he asks her to go home to my father