Social shifts

Born into just enough to get by
Some - the lucky ones
Are blessed with parents that choose to break away from the future their history had decided for them.
The patriarch
works hard
He sacrifices
And in time the fruits of what he's sown will become evident.

The woman
continues to suffer
The emotional constraints; evoked by father's infidelity
she's weary of her seemingly ever accumulating b*****d siblings
She's weary of mental ailing over family politics.
She puts food in their mouths
She puts clothes on their backs
Yet her name remains on their spiked tongues

I admire Dad
He _is_the_ breadwinner after all.
What's not to be admired?
He's always on the road - well connected
He makes everyone momentarily happy
He took me to the best schools ; life is good.

One foot in opulence the other in struggle
I associate with people living in secured and guarded communities, whilst finding my way home means paying extra attention to every dodgy character pacing behind me, jumping;running from the thick, squealing rats
my friends are mobile or at least constant Uber users
Taxis and buses are my means of transport and never have they failed

Trying to make something of one's self gets overwhelming at times
the constant uncertainty of your work's outcome
the fear of mom's situation becoming my situation; the fear of being stuck in limbo: God help me
Waking up in early dawn
Enslaved by her patrons
only to be paid what is sometimes barely enough to cover the mortgage
I pray everyday
Lord guard me
protect me
give me nothing but wisdom
it gets hard at times.


I have difficulties no one understands, but _I know_ I am my greatest cheerleader.
I _am_ my biggest motivator and it is because of this that I will never look back.

Thank you mom for raising a strong willed woman.
Thank you father, for teaching me through your conditional love that no man has my back.

Elevating myself is on me and me _alone._

Written by: Thuli Nkosi
Edited by : Minky

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

Strong, worthwhile and interesting story in the poetry.
"Thank you mom for raising a strong willed woman.
Thank you father, for teaching me through your conditional love that no man has my back."
I liked the above lines. Thank you for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[Thuli Nkosi]

Thank you so much, your feedback is so thorough and helpful. Greatly appreciated!

[Patrick Ramsey]

YW. Liking your poetry a lot.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome. A worthwhile write.

[Patrick Ramsey]

Beautiful and brutal!!! I smiled at the line, "My friends are mobile, or at least constant Uber users." You write as someone who has healthy skepticism based on your experience.

The spacing and the formatting on this one struck me poignantly. I can see you looking at both your parents, taking in the data, and making decisions based on outcomes.

Very well done. I don't know if it is perfect, but the poem stands out! Keep writing!

[Thuli Nkosi]

This was my bare soul. And I appreciate that you picked up that although I may seem skeptical on quiet a lot, I'm not anti, instead these are the circumstances that have shaped me into the young lady I am today. I truly appreciate the thoroughness of your feedback and thanks for stopping by and reading!