The girl who killed my father

Poem by Refilwe J. Mokgatlenyane

She cried
But one day her tears turned into fire
Fire that dropped to the ground and burnt the earth in ire
She cried and the more she cried
Was the more the fire burnt along her skin down to her chin

She cried because every time
She felt tired of trying
She needed a pat on the shoulder
And a tighter hug but nights kept getting darker and colder
She kept her guards up but she kept getting less bolder
She cried because she was losing her grip
She cried because instead of the world giving her a hand, it stumped her with its feet, and she kept falling deeper into the realms of defeat
She cried because she tried
She tried and her emotions were tired, and her muscles couldn’t take it anymore

She cried because she still had hope
And it hurt because the world kept tossing her and spinning her like a coin
She kept believing but things kept getting harder
She held on but she kept going down

She cried because she kept falling and getting bruises
She kept getting up and trying even more
She kept trying a hundred more times, but this game is unfair as no one keeps the score
Was this her destiny showing her the door? she thought
She cried, she cried because she wasn’t giving up
She cried because even if the world comes roaring at her like a fierce lioness