By Ike Azuka
The unwelcome call came,
With it, a chilling voice at the other end,
In the wee hours of that Saturday
That sad Saturday
“Mama is closer to the other side than to recovery.”
An hour passed, or thereabouts,
Then the chilling voice came once again, with the killer punch
“Mama just died.”
The shock was too hard to sink in
My mind flooded with thoughts, meditations and questions
And with them, sweet memories of you,
Oh,what sweet memories
Suddenly, I realized I am now an orphan
You gave of yourself wholly and selflessly
Throughout my years of innocence
Oh Mama,why leave me forlone?
“A son never grows up to his mom,” you would always tell me
Our chats and conversations would always end in jokes and chuckles
Before your spiritual presence, I stand, my beloved mother,
To make but one request:
As you pass the baton to me,
Wrap me in your celestial protection
Deign to hear and hearken
For just as Beatrice guided Dante to Paradise (Dante’s Divine Comedy), so too have you been my guide
A beacon of love, grace, and wisdom
And though you now dwell beyond
Let your spirit continue to lead me
To whisper through the winds
To light my path as I carry forward
Oh dear Mama, be my Beatrice
Deign to hear and hearken
An Ode To My Beloved Mama by Ike Azuka