for Ouma Elsie

Mama

Be still and listen to the rain tonight And the sound of a million water droplets Tell me if this truth feels rather artificial As we become our emotions' puppets

Be still and listen to the wind tonight And the hoots of a million haunting ghosts Tell me how this thorn of truth pierces As we gather our emotions on foggy coasts

Be still and listen to the thunder tonight And the clamour of a million clapping clouds Tell me how truth made us fall from the skies As we hide our emotions from jovial crowds

Be still and listen to the storm tonight And the rage of a million wrangling roars Tell me if truth will ever cease to compel As we battle our many emotional wars

Be still and listen to our cries tonight And the tremblings of a million torn voices Tell us whether to accept this brutal truth of time As we yield to our emotions, to these noises

Be still and listen, Mama.