Mama keeps money for us
She says our pockets are too shallow
That we will lose all the coins
And because coins make a lot of noise
Someone might mug us
Mama has her notes, but she loves our coins more
Mama drove past us today
Said she couldn't carry all of us
We were many, we always are
She was afraid we would leave lice and bedbugs
On the seats of her air conditioned car
Yesterday she only carried Ooko
He is from her mother's side
Mama has a lot of debts
Says she will pay next year
Next year has never reached
She borrows daily
Says she cannot survive without money
And when forced to pay,
Mama turns back to us
She squeezes us till we let go of the last coin
Atieno completed school five years ago
Mama promised to fix her something
She is still fixing
These days Atieno sells porridge to builders
They need it for the completion of mama's new building
Say they'll pay when mama pays them
That is what Atieno tells Kamau of the shop
That she will pay when she is paid
There was a time mama sang us songs
Of how sweet freedom was
She sang about the lovely scent of independence
We memorized those songs
These days we only hum them
And when mama is near,
We just mumble some words
She no longer wants to hear those songs
Says our voices give her migraine
Mama is sinful
Mama does not keep her promises
Mama no longer hears our cries
Last week she slapped our last born
He was yapping on the internet about a job
Mama loves herself more than she loves us
Mama dresses well
She lives in a good house
Mama is sinful
But I think she will go to heaven
Because she pays her tithe every Sunday
©aokojuma
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