Banakulu
She died, I cried,
at least I tried,
she's gone, I realized,
Will I see her again?
Another life,
Diabetes took her away,
Her pain was visible.
She held on but let go,
condition critical.
I didn't know vernacular,
that was sometimes a barrier,
more time we could've spent together,
but I preferred my extra time with video games and TV on the weekend,
so when mum would ask, "do you want to see grandpa and grandma today? "
I'd say maybe next week and sometimes next week was a month or two.
I played a song for her in the guest room as she lay there days before she was taken to the hospital. I sang my heart out as she shed a tear.
I know she would want the best for me,
she was diligent concerned and had pedigree,
she seemed to find the miracle in the mundane,
or maybe she simply settled in the calmer seas of life early,
she left her imprint on all her daughters,
care, action, cleanliness, and honesty.
Banakulu is missed and hopefully, I'll see her again. For now all I know is bonds are formed with memories and memories by time spent together.
*banakulu - grandmother in icibemba(Zambian language)