Tribute To My Grandmother: The Graceful Camel (Gaal Golicha) Poem by Ibrahim Bidu

A unique name
Bordering on the strange
I haven’t heard anyone else
Sport the same
For more than three or so decades
I have roamed the earth.
Proud beyond measure
Unbending to any pressure
Quick to speak her mind
And blunt oft times;
With a complexion
That defied the scorching sun
She was a real beauty:
The graceful camel.
She must have turned many heads
But this I can only guess!
For the grand kids who enjoyed her favour
Life around her was fun.
No one would dare point a finger
Even when we set the town a blaze.
My grandma was someone
No one wanted to mess with.
I was one of her favourites
And even my no-nonsense dad
Nor one of nosey sisters were no match
For my mighty grandma
Whenever I sought refuge in her hut
After one of my childish pranks.
And as she takes her final bow
To begin the second leg of her journey
I have nothing but prayers for her
And may be a tinge of guilt
I never got the chance to fulfill
All the promises I made
When I saw the world
Through a small boy’s eyes.