CAUTIONARY VERSE: "MY DAUGHTER" BY GABRIEL WEAH

Oh, my daughter,

Hear me now with your last ears.

Give me your keen attention,

For life is cloaked in corruption.

It neither values integrity

Nor comprehends purity.

When I was your age,

The snow was not like this.

It danced with clarity,

But now, everything has changed.

Do not let the breeze deceive you with its embrace—

Life only waits to learn your name.

Oh, my daughter,

I have neither gold nor diamonds to give.

Let my experience be your shield.

I have seen the world unravel,

And I do not want you to feast on broken bones,

For uncertainty sits at the dinner table.

Please, oh my daughter, listen.

Do not wear the prodigal son’s shoes.

Be steadfast, diligent, and focused.

Life is bittersweet, but with you,

I know it will forever bear fruit.

Oh, my daughter, my precious daughter, please…

© GABRIEL S. WEAH, 

alias Lyrical Genius

- Liberia

The poet persona warns her child to live a responsible life. The voice is aware of the corruptible world and warns her daughter to live a unique life. The bard is speaking like a dear mother.