MOMS DEATH

I CAME WITH A CRY,
OF THE NEW WORLD I FOUND,
MY MOUTH WAS DRY,
I WANTED MOM'S TITS,
SHE TOLD 'HUSH SON!',
YOUR TIT IS HERE,
YOU ARE MY FIRST CHILD-MY ONLY CHILD,

CLINGING ON IT I SUCKED,
SUCKED SUCKED AND SUCKED,
AND STILL I SUCKED MORE,
SUCKED MY MOM TO DEATH,
BUT THAT I NEVER KNEW.

MY GRANNY TOLD ME THAT,
I HAD COME IN TIME OF WAR,
IN TIME OF MY MOM'S SOBS,
IN THE PRESENCE OF MY FATHER,
WHO DIED IN TIME OF WAR,
BUT THAT I NEVER KNEW.

 I CRIED AS PEOPLE GATHERED,
 TO GRANNY'S HOMESTEAD WITH CRIES,
 "THE GIRL IS GONE" THEY CRIED,
 BUT THAT GIRL I NEVER KNEW,
 I ONLY KNEW MOM,
 WHO I REALLY DON'T  KNOW.

ANTONY NDUNG'U KAROMO, AWARD WINNING POEM, RUKUINI HIGH SCHOOL 2009