ELEGY: "MOTHER" SUMAILA UMAISHA

I left in the morning, 

returned after noon 

to find you gone 

with the sun.

I raised my voice,

I tore my heart,

the floor, the ceiling,

searching for tears.

A thousand years

between us now, 

yet, night's rest lingers 

behind eyelids heavy 

like an anchor dropped. 

Over a thousand years, 

still counting pains

wrought on living 

with you away.

©SUMAILA UMAISHA 

-Nigeria 

“Mother” by Sumaila Umaisha is an elegiac poem that explores the profound grief and emotional emptiness that accompany the loss of a mother. The speaker recounts the painful experience of returning home to discover the mother's absence, expressing anguish, heartbreak and an overwhelming desire to find comfort in tears. Through references to time stretching into a thousand years, the poem captures the enduring nature of grief and the difficulty of adjusting to life without a beloved mother. It highlights the depth of maternal love and the lasting emotional impact of losing someone whose presence once provided comfort and security.