Tuesday Poem:A Young Mother’s Monologue by Timilehin Olagunju

1.
Belle dey worry me before.
To sleep sef, dat one na yawa
because say I wan born pikin;
now wey I don born,
pikin come dey worry me

2.
I tap my husband, make him wake up,
make him change Baby pampers,
make me sef close eye small,
he say that one na woman job,
when e dey sweet am,
him no talk that one o!

3.
See as this yeye man dey snore,
no be him give me belle ?
No be him pikin I carry ?
Shebi him talk say him go love me tire ?
Shebi he talk say he fit die for me ?

4.
No be now now night just fall?
I never close eye reach one hour
cock don crow already
Baby dey suck suck
Baby no gree me sleep

5
As Baby reach three weeks,
my yeye husband come again
he dey smile, dey rub my back;
e be like say I recover fast fast,
he tell me say I don dey fine again o,
he wan make e dey sweet am again !

________

Timilehin Olagunju is a medical doctor who currently practices in a community hospital. He is a tech geek, happily married, and a father to a beautiful girl.

Photography credits: Emebiriodo Ugochukwu