The Fear Our Parents Had
You must have remembered those stories, crafted in the moonlight
with a mild swirl from the wind, setting the mood.
You must have remembered the longing in your heart
at the first clearing of your father’s throat
preceding the tales and later gifts
for whoever gained the greatest lesson.
It’s funny how you carefully choose not to remember,
tossing the tales in the farthest part of your mind
because life has taught you in ways you never expected
you realize, those promises which furnished the stories
can’t be fulfilled.
At least, not by the people that made them
You realize, the pause which accompanied those stories
wasn’t to set the mood right
it was the fear your parents had.
Not knowing how to tell you how close they were
to giving you the life they wanted.
They were always close and they always lost.
The pause was to set you up for your journey
maybe you will be smarter to win.
With years gone, you finally realize the courage
it took for those stories to be muttered.
Engraving new stories to be told after your adventure.
What story would mine be? you think.
Afraid, you might never get to tell the storyteller
You finally achieved what he couldn’t.
Note:
In Nigerian expression, caught sometimes means to achieve a dream or desire that is pursued. In this poem, I replaced “caught” with a more suitable word, “gained” and “achieved” for clarity. Also, I replaced “trials” with “journey” and “adventure”.
© Miracle Ogbogu
Miracle Ogbogu is a Nigerian story lover and a graduate of Genetics and Biotechnology from the University of Calabar. She enjoys writing stories and poems on abstract and realistic themes when she isn’t working. She perceives writing to be a tool that can shape the future which keeps her writing authentic.
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