I greet you step mom.
You know this handwriting,
So it’s not necessary to say who I am.

When you first came into my life,
Into my home, my mother’s house,
You did not only change the color of the paint,
And how furniture was arranged.
You changed everything,
Routines and the smell of the house.

I hated you.
You didn’t kill my mother,
But still, I hated you.
I felt you wanted to replace her.

Since you came, I had to be an adult at an early age.
You gave me chores I never done before.
You commanded me every time,
”Do the garden,
Wash the dishes,
Clean the toilet,
Fetch water” this and that.
My mother did all that for me.
I hated you.

After my father died,
I suspected you for food poisoning.
You had nowhere to go,
My uncles permitted you to keep staying with us.
That broke my heart,
You continued treating me the same way.
I felt like a slave in my own house.

Yes you gave me money for school,
I never slept hungry,
You took care of my younger sister.
But still, I hated you.

Now I am a man,
I understand.
Believe me, this comes from the bottom of my heart.

I’m sorry for making life hard on you.
You treated me the way any mother would treat her child.
I was ungrateful.
I realize that you were grooming me.
Sorry for spreading lies about you,
I was young and used by those who hated you.



Thank you for the love and support you gave me.
I promise to be a son to you.
You have been there for me,
Though I put you through hell.
I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.

You were a mother and you still are.
You are the best thing that ever happened to me.
I shall never forget nor forsake you.
You can count on me.

Please forgive me for all the attitude.
You are the greatest,
You deserves the best.
© Keabetswe Lelaka