This call to fatherhood, I hear it
In the quiet twitching below my belly
And in my heart when my eyes meet
With the yearning gaze of my neighbour’s son
The glitter of his eyeballs telling a story
Of curious wonder and a smile so intriguing
That I begin to wish he were mine
This urge to sire an offspring
I feel it strongly when she walks by
Her shoulders guarding her back
Covered in unwritten lines of readiness
And when she turns to face me with bosom
Full yet graceful in accusing me of delay
This longing to be a father, I feel it
When I hold me in my hands at dawn
And when I toil through the rest of the day
Stealing glances at the office artwork:
A dagger sinking through a man held in place
By the embrace of his queen;
Then the wisdom of my wallet comes to me:
The corn cob, not the coin, is a farmer’s wealth.
Today, like many days past
I feel this desire strongly, to be a father
To have a bit of me and of her to hold
But my mind tells me feelings are not wise.
(C) Tobi Adebowale, June 2017
Tobi Adebowale's Corner 