Once upon a time
A time when she was beautiful,
Her dark skin shone brighter than the sun;
Her calm, peaceful nature was worth dying for.
Her green floral gown made her elegant,
Her dark, beautiful hair adorned with white flowers.
Her womb was blessed with many, Her home overflowed with children. Her garden, as fruitful as she, Bore fresh vegetables. Her sheep and goats multiplied daily.
She would sit and watch her children play, Sing songs and tell them folk tales. They never went a day to bed empty. Sometimes, her older children would say: “When I’m capable, you’ll live better than this.” She would smile and hug them, saying, “I know.”
And then the time came When she aged a bit. Her older children grew, Strong and successful, they became, But pride made them insolent They sought the wrong and perverted the right.
They abandoned their precious mother, Forgetting the promise they made to her. They cheated their siblings of their belongings; They ate till they were overfed with greed, Drank wine and wore their wealth, While they let their siblings suffer.
Soon, the younger ones began to hate their mother, Calling her names and disrespecting her. Everyone blamed her for what she did not know. She longed for answers. Where had she gone wrong? The once beautiful maiden Now looked like a dejected soul.
Now she sits between heaven and hell, Paying for a sin she knows nothing of, Longing for an answer that will never be given. Her once quiet home is now chaotic before her eyes— Yet she still hopes, Hopes for the day, it will all be over.