Mother tells me,
Lover’s streams roar noisily,
Down the slippery slope
They mind not,
Their slippery cage
For me, the withstanding light
Blinds me
My awkward step,
Slow and careful
Many tell me this is the pursuit of life itself
My Mother tells me,
The middle is best,
Away from the lion’s den is safest
My own mind’s conclusions should matter most,
Yet circumstances deprive me,
Of the pleasure of being purely me
I smile slowly,
Hiding the disgust that lines my face so well
I hide the ripping of my heart
Mother says it is best,
And fight the muscles of my face,
That may give me away
So when I meet his gaze,
My expression is emotionless
Then,
I look at my sore legs outstretched
Right in front of me
Bearing the scares of the road I have walked
Unsavoury for the most part
A shrivelled parcel I was
Dried by the scotching African sun
Mother tells me,
I live merely for the future,
I hope to achieve
To Love and Lose concludes life.