i’m raising you to wake up
and take a ride to any universe
be the beauty of soul sound and energy
create my child like you the created
earn the language of moulding
seeds into fruitful beings
i’m raising you so you too can raise me
infant of my skin
are you ready for the teachings of time
that only life alone can extend
her long arms to light up?
If so clothe yourself with ancient souls
who knew before we did that you, the future
will be born into this crazy but jazzy
scene called life
rise and let the world know
you are here to claim no sense
no sin but only the waking and dream-dripping
sun of each dawn
never wait for life’s breath to blow
into your lungs rather bloom
from the dust we rose from like mystics
to grow your own wings
and be sure to ask for strength
between these wings
so they don’t split into halves cause child,
i’m raising you to be whole
raise your story’s voice to go beyond any beyond
and beat any ghost that could suck
out your way up to clouds of choice
have sacred communion with the past
that is knotted to your present
cause child, any presence that
lacks a past is part of the lost so listen up child
listen up child
listen up child
listen close cause you’re a sister, and i’m a sister
i’m raising you to remove your walk from exhausting
arms of men-talities who can’t take a strong sister
and white supremacies who want to believe
we’re strong enough only for taking their instructions
and child, i’m still tasting the bitter truth i’m learning
that not every woman is a sister
so, listen up child
you listen up child
you listen up child
i have laboured to challenge convention
beat conviction on my soul, scrubbed the floors of my heart
tended the soil of my womb so the fruit of my garden
would be like you child of mine beautiful beyond magic herself
i stood guard at the entrance to your ride
to usher you into these arms bosom and back
that i’m raising you to fly beyond
so listen up child
listen up child
listen up child
i’m raising you within the water you were made of
rise child and walk to the knowledge that you are everything that is musical…
Natalia Molebatsi is writer, performance poet and cultural worker who has performed her work on stages all over the world.
