My Mother

About this poem

This poem was composed in 1948 in Kingston, Jamaica, when I was a teenager attending Calabar High School and pedaling daily to school through the Red Hills of the village on a bike. At the age of thirteen I was already reminiscing about the mysteries of life and Death, having had a sister die years earlier from malaria at the tender age of six. While the poem is entitled My Mother, it was not composed at the time as a personal statement concerning any family members. Both my parents were fully alive at the time of the poet’s composition. The poem was written largely to experiment with the lyrical nature of poetry that was like music to my ears. I also loved to hear my mother frequently reciting poetry, along with many wise old saws, sharing her joy for the pulsating beat of words in harmony. more »