Hope in Bottle

Village women sing
rising joy in ululations,
tumbling the grass
and blowing high the dust.
A child has been born.

Forgetting their burdens
they fill joy and love in the heavens,
empty in their stomachs
but full of merry in their hearts,
they offer praises and gratitude-to their gods.

The mother gently rocks her child,
stroking her hair
and holding her with at most care,
she is happy for now but soon she will be sad.

Her heart wells with tears,
of joy and fear of reality,
she is poor and has nothing to eat,
yet the gods have given her this gift.

She looks out the window
and sees the dust blow,
the yellow sun setting in the distance
brings forth hope of a day a bit pleasant,
She knows good fortune doesn’t come with the singing,


Yet she similes and says to herself
‘tomorrow is another day
and will make life work my way’
She looks at her child
and she is confident she will make it.
™©Mwangi Njoroge