Be Free, My Mother

1/5/2022

By Onah, Godday Ejiofor

Be free my mother,
From this pang of labour that lingers
Like a night without hope of dawn

Be free my mother,
From these whales that dine upon thy children
Like witches in the realm of manhunt

Be free my mother,
From these hands that hold thee down for decades
Like the power of grave, over flesh

Be free my mother,
That we, your sons might be free
From those who made us orphans and made you childless.

Writer’s Biography
Onah, Godday Ejiofor is an undergraduate student of English and literary studies at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He is the author of Shadows and Apparitions, and his poetry and short stories have featured in many anthologies, including the Nigerian students’ poetry Anthology, Writers Space Africa.

14 Comments

James Osinachi

1/5/2022 11:14:18 am

This is indeed a great piece of art. Your use of literary devices is also commendable. What came to my mind while going through this piece our great country Nigeria and how she needs to be free so that her son (the citizens) can also be free.

Ihekwereme Ezekiel Favour

6/5/2022 04:39:29 pm

What an amazing piece!!!
A capital YES to independence.

Emmanuel Esther Kuje

7/5/2022 09:19:26 am

Meehhhnnn I'm in love with the diction and the sense of art!!
I love this piece!
Weldone Onah!

Deh Julius

7/5/2022 11:50:18 am

This reminds me so much of Nigeria. Nice piece

Izang Alexander Haruna

8/5/2022 04:05:52 pm

Be free, my mother...
It is not hard to discern that this poem would be more appropriate to be read as a reference to a kind of corporate motherhood, just as virtually all the comments thus far are tilting towards. The land of our birth (thinking of Donaldson) is haply our mother, but we can only understand this motherhood through the individual mothers we have. The song of freedom saturates all of Africa, it is our primal need especially mental freedom (Bob Marley did say only us can free ourselves (, hence, the paradox is that this mother would be set free by her sons. The last stanza seem to suggest this shackles of slavery as imposed on us, partly so but it is time that we see it as our own doing also.
The imagery of labour pains is tempered by the joy of birth, in this then is hope that someday truly the labor of true heroes would never be in vain.
Well done, another laudable voice to the clarion call.

Nitta Amarachi

10/5/2022 11:24:04 pm

We are sons and daughters of a mother in handcuffs.
This piece is a deep one, maybe it's because I see my motherland written all over it.
It is a prayer that my seed will see the Nigeria of our dreams.

Racheal Abu-ara Ogbulu

11/5/2022 11:16:15 pm

Be free Nigeria
That we your son's and daughters shall breath in the breath of a new Nigeria
This is indeed a Clarion call

Oghome Evwierhoma

17/5/2022 04:14:25 pm

This reminds me of one of Rupi Kaur’s poems from the sun and her flowers. Where she talks about the things she wishes to tell her mother, one of which is to love her self and that she must not answer to all but herself.

This explains how Mother hood can in fact be enslaving, how they give everything- it takes me back to the times I want to tell my mother to detach and rest.

We have to start talking about mothering and Ease together! Yes, they can co-exist.

Oluwateniola Ladi-Williams

18/5/2022 01:19:40 pm

Very captivating! I keep coming back to find a meaning to this piece and it astounds me every time. I do, however, understand that it's a call for a mother(which could possibly be Nigeria right now) to be free from this pain and sorrow so that her sons (we the citizens) may also be free. Quite a remarkable piece.

Ogugua Okwudili

18/5/2022 04:11:31 pm

Lament of a son whose mother is subjugated by negative forces, inflicting; pains, sorrows, deaths.
A satire, and an open submission, and surrender.

Olamide Ojediran

19/5/2022 04:02:25 pm

This is such a beautiful poem. As someone who advocates for Women independence. This poem tells women to break free from the shackles holding them down and soar like eagles in the sky. It tells us that even our traditional mothers can live the life they want. olusayoojediran@gmail.com you'll love this.

Chinzak Lekyong

21/5/2022 10:40:11 am

There is none like a mother
She birthed and suckled us
She like the mother hen
Always protects and shades
Whenever the Hawks and prowls
It's not in fear she does that
But because she don't want stories that touch

Chinonso Amechi link

21/5/2022 03:32:08 pm

I choose to question the vividity of this piece. It's super amazing though, but a lay man would just be left in a no-man's-land if this was the only Poesy written.

Akeredolu Eniola Zion

27/5/2022 04:48:48 pm

This is a beautiful poem, with a lot of reference to society and motherhood.

Be Free, My Mother

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Copyright @SprinNG

Be Free, My Mother

Leave a Reply.

Copyright @SprinNG​

Copyright @SprinNG