Hoping To Come Back Soon Poem by Nomthi Lusiti

I tried to pick up nice things for you,
Fruit, sweets and everything I thought would make you happy,
Some things that would shift your mind from the fact that I’m leaving you now,
I unpacked your bags and everything that belonged to you,
All this was not by an inch nice or exciting to me
But all that was consoling me was the fact that
I was hoping to come back soon.

It was time to go to my vehicle, start the engine and leave,
I gave everyone a hug, that hug of saying goodbye
Till we meet again in God’s love and mercy
I looked into your eyes, gave you the mother kiss,
I could see that although you pretended to be alright,
You never were, something inside you was torn into pieces,
Only that I was hoping to come back soon.

It was time to start the engine and go, and so I did,
You were now sitting on a bunk outside your aunt’s house,
Looking at me with a smile on your lips and waving goodbye,
As I looked at your eyes and the smile, my heart became so torn,
I wanted to hold you and tell you that everything will be alright,
But I felt I couldn’t as I was hoping to come back soon.

As I was driving I was playing the music tape and
This song that we were singing together on our way from home
Was playing and I started feeling guilty,
As if I committed a crime by leaving you behind, but I consoled myself
With the fact that this was a temporary arrangement,
And sooner you will join me, hoping to come back soon.

Days passed by, so did the weeks, the fortnights and moths,
I know that you were always starring across the river,
Expecting that engine to roar back again,
This time in a mission to fetch you as
I promised to come back soon.

As months passed by with no sign of me,
You stopped rushing out whenever you heard an engine roar,
You stopped looking around whenever you went to town with your aunt,
You gave up hope of seeing me any time soon,
Even, though you were still eager to see me come back sooner.

I just want you to know,
That even though I was away, like a thousand miles from you
I never stopped thinking about you
I had your pictures by my bedside and in my mind
Twenty four hours a day and seven days a week,
As I still hoped to come back to you, and that is why I will never leave you again.
I love you son, will always do..................