U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo
Life Quiver
I think I felt my daughter speak to me
whisper her presence in the depths of my core
felt her name bubble in my mind
Shamiso
her brown angelic face
showing herself through the tears
the pull of an atom about to split in my chest
I am bursting
my blood watering the field
garden from where she may grow
If her roots are strong enough
If my soil is filled with the magical possibility of this bliss
am I ready to hear her gurgle,
while I write and perform this poem of her inception in my mind
Before she is made whole
they say children are born
or beg to be born
maybe it is I
quivering inside
waiting to be born
U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo is a Zimbabwean-American artist and poetic force with a transnational lens. Boston-based, she’s a storyteller, educator, and board member of Mass Poetry. Her debut poetry collection, Soul Psalms, received accolades from Dr Thema Bryant, APA President, for its therapeutic mastery. She was awarded the 2023 prestigious Brother Thomas Fellowship and also honored with a Certificate of Recognition from Boston’s Mayor Wu for her artistry which fosters inclusivity and equity. u-meleni.com.