Monday, February 04, 2008

26 A Mother in a Refugee Camp

No Madonna and Child could touch
Her tenderness for a son
She would soon have to forget...
The air was heavy with odors of diarrhea,
Of unwashed children with washed-out ribs
And dried-up bottoms waddling in labour steps
Behind blown-empty bellies. Other mothers there
Had long ceased to care, but not this one:
She held a ghost-smile between her teeth,
And in her eyes the memory
Of a mother's pride....She had bathed him
And rubbed him, down with bare palms.
She took from their bundle of possessions
A broken comb and combed
The rust-colored hair left on his skull
And then--humming in her eyes--began carefully to part it
In their former life this was perhaps
A little act of no consequence
Before his breakfast and school; now she did it
Like putting flowers on a tiny grave


~Chinua Achebe
in his book Collected Poems

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Heartbreakingly beautiful.

Thank you for sharing it.

Sayyeda said...

Thank you Kelly for stopping by :)

Anonymous said...

Chinua Achebe is an author I enjoy. This poem really creates a haunting image for me. Thanks for sharing.

Sayyeda said...

Thanks for stopping by lisac.
I enjoy reading works by Chinua Achebe as well. He's a good writer.

Karen Edmisten said...

This is a heartbreaking piece. Thank you for posting it.

Sayyeda said...

Thanks for stopping by Karen e. :)

Anonymous said...

hi

Anonymous said...

Dulce et Decourm Est is a better poem

Anonymous said...

nah its all about field mouse

Anonymous said...

and war photographer

Anonymous said...

:)

Anonymous said...

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Anonymous said...

Look go away jc, and go to La belle dans merci or something, no one wants you here!!!

Anonymous said...

alright dont start on me im on your side anonymous i like dulce to ya know

Anonymous said...

Yeh i guess, but my first sonne is preety good aswell, i don't reall like this poem you???

Anonymous said...

nah its all about la belle dame first sonne is aaaawwwwwfffffuuuulllllll

Anonymous said...

Shut up!!! That is the worst poem EVER!!! I really don't like la belle. It should be made illegal, i have lost all respect for you jc, plz don't reply or i will cry...

Anonymous said...

:( dont wanna upset u anony,ous but field mouse is a shocker!

Anonymous said...

Yeh it is, its phsyco. You know i was in the balkans war. I was a captain for Serbia.

Anonymous said...

liar and i was in the phnom penh massacre i cant believe that you would stoop that low anonymous

Anonymous said...

Mate, shouldn't joke about that. I know you weren't because i am sitting right next to you now in our it lab ;P

Anonymous said...

so doesn't mean i haven't been their in the past yet i can't help wandering who the hell you are ANONYMOUS

Anonymous said...

I am currently working for NASA, i have been to space on the space shuttle with them as I have a degree in astronomy and literature, weird combination..hur?

Anonymous said...

alright anonymous if you've done all these things why dont you care to share youre name with the rest of the world hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh????????????????

Anonymous said...

alright anonymous if you've done all these things why dont you care to share youre name with the rest of the world hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh????????????????

Olivia said...

I love this poem as it almost brings me to tears each time I read it. I am currently doing it for my GCSE's and it is my favourite piece.

Thank You for Sharing!!