That Old Brown Shoe
POETRY FORMAT, 1 Nov 2021
Dr Usha Roopnarain – TRANSCEND Media Service
A newborn is tightly snug in her embrace,
Her belly swollen no more.
Endearingly she desperately tries to look at his face.
Yet he shows no interest, his brown leather shoes resting on a footstool.
Could it be- That he is in a far-off place?
This distance, this rejection seems impossible to erase.
She is craving for him to bond with the infant,
Yet he is so distant?
She breathes in and he seems indifferent.
How can this be happening? Are these thoughts she is imagining?
His love used to be intoxicating
Now all she feels is loathing
Looking at that old brown shoe,
She feels like she is suffocating.
There’s no comfort, no support, she feels her heart almost palpitating.
He is far off in a distant land.
Oblivious to her needs, how can he not understand?
This is our child, together we planned.
The newborn needs her feed.
Inside the mum`s heart bleeds
The maternal instinct arises
Looks deeply into her baby`s eyes.
Tries to console herself.
She realizes that her happiness is in her arms.
A baby, so delicate, so pure.
Who needs a man to feel secure?
The baby looks at her lovingly
Inside she is broken, yet this pain she must endure.
But she manages to say I love you baby.
This pain shall be no more,
So, put those ugly shoes on the floor, and walk out that door.
I have my baby- bonjour!
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Dr Usha Roopnarain – Former parliamentarian in the National Assembly of South Africa, social activist and passionate about human rights and gender equality.
Tags: Poetry
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 1 Nov 2021.
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Very beautifully displays the love for the baby and the indifference of the father. She feels secure in the baby’s love and warmth. Is walking out the only option?
I feel her love for the baby will work on the father and he will begin to love the child and her mother.