Iya Femi - I Remember

Mother, my epiphany!

My born-day came from thy strength;

I celebrate thee, my serendipity!

From thy breath; thou a God sent!



I remember !



Those bluish smoky eyes;

Filled with wooden fire flakes,

Also blurry with tears like ice;

I know my mother as she wakes;

Pretended I laid at bound;

She tiptoed away from the mat,

She waded at every sound;

From the bullying flies and rats;



I saw thou in me !



The glimmer of a mere alike;

Her smile clutches my being;

The only listener to confide;

When thou chastised - never mean;

Iya Femi is one of a kind;

She teaches like mother Teresa

With little, she's still humble and kind;

I hope to have her forever 



I was afraid !



I saw the wrinkles there;

It competes with the veins;

It begets my unmentionable fear,

Little makeup still do the feints,

I drank more from thy bosom;

Afterwards it sags with pride,

O' mother thou is so awesome;

Forever am thine child;



I am grateful !



Mother, my goddess !

Thou stings and protects like a bee;

Thou protects under thy fortress,

Who dare confronts thee?

My born-day came from thy strength;

I celebrate thee, my serendipity!

From thy breath; thou a God sent!

Mother, my epiphany!







(In Yoruba - Nigeria, "Iya" means Mother and our mothers are usually called by the name of their first child; while "Femi" is the name of my mother's first child... Poem written by me to celebrate my birthday by appreciating my Mother)



Gafar Odubote, “Iya Femi – I remember”, copyright 2017