A Father's Prayer For His Son Poem by Martins Akhoeneto

May Heaven raise you into greatness,
To heights where worthy men walk beside you;
May your hands sow seeds that outlive seasons,
And may your grace find its river home.

Go, my son—beyond the reach of my watching.
Carry my voice where distance cannot.
When gold gleams, remember your name;
When power comes, remember the hands that held you.

Measure no man by the shoes he wears,
Nor yourself by doors that close.
Walk humbly,
But never bow to what diminishes you.

Some mornings will crown you with light;
Some nights will leave you alone with your shadow.
In victory, keep a chair for the forgotten.
In defeat, keep faith with your becoming.

Let wealth never thin your heart.
Let hardship never harden it.
Love deeply. Speak truth. Forgive freely.
And when the road divides between pride and mercy,
Let your heart be the compass.

If green pastures fade, keep walking.
If the wilderness calls you by another name, answer with courage.
And when the world wounds you,
Do not let it take your tenderness home.

Build where peace can breathe.
Let your children inherit more than your name.
Give them the warmth that once lived in mine.

And when your hair carries the dust of many roads,
Look back.

May there be shade where you once stood,
Light where you once passed,
And something living in the wake of your footsteps.

Go, my son.
Become more than I could teach you
But never become so great
That you forget the way home.