Poem for mum and daughter:
The scent of roses are truly beautiful,
So are you.
I want you to know that beauty that cannot be seen but can be felt is truly beautiful.
I want to tell you all the things they silenced my mother,
Her mother and the mother of her mother
from saying.
I want to tell you about how when I was your age,
16, 17, 18, 19, I fell in love.
I want to tell you about how he kissed me and I melted,
Like chocolate ice cream on a sunny day.
I want to tell you about how his touch made me tremble and I felt the things mama had whispered I should never let any man,
One that wasn't my husband make me feel.
I wish you'd take your time to live,
Not bound by rules or by traditions.
I'd sit with you and tell you how I met your father,
You'd be 20 and I'd tell you how he made love to me for the first time like an inexperienced driver.
He was taking his time to learn my body,
You'd wrinkle your nose and ask me to stop,
I'd laugh and kiss your face but you'd know.
I didn't inherit the silence of my mother, her mother and the mother of her mother.
I'll tell you about how on some days I felt less,
How I struggled to stay alive and hopefully,
You'd let me fight your demons for you.
I'd show you the scars I have from self inflicted pain,
If you are anything like me, we'd cry together and you'll fear for me but you'd know.
My mother's silence bypassed me.
And when you meet your first love,
I want to giggle with you as we read his very cliche profession of love you,
I'd be a typical mom and beg you to be careful but I won't,
I won't rip the carpet from underneath your feet,
I'll let you love and if it ends like a lot of these things do, I'll buy you ice cream.
We'd talk about how he was not attractive enough for you but I'd never silence you.
I didn't inherit my mother's silence and you won't.
*Dedicated to my mother that never inherited silence*
Adeyinka Oluwademilade