My Mother In Law Poem by Khethiwe Ramathuthu

My Mother In Law



My mother in law is from a different world from mine, raised to uphold different traditions and values.
She is Venda and I am Swati, she cannot speak my language and neither can I speak hers.

She is my husband’s heart, he loves her so.
She looks at him with eyes that reminds me of the first time I looked at my baby boy, and wonder in amazement if this is how I will still be looking at my son even after he brings a wife home.

But I know she love me.

I know she loves me because in our quiet times she shares with me the lessons she has learned; she tells me stories of her past that even my husband does not know.
These stories she does not share all at once sometimes we are sitting under the tree, sometimes we are sitting next to the fire.
It was in one such occasion when we were sitting under a shade and she touched my hair and I knew she loved me
It is in our quiet times, just me and her, no one else around to see, to testify and say I was there.

These are the times I understand why Ruth stayed with Naomi.

My mother in law is my husband’s heart but I know she loves me.

POET'S NOTES ABOUT THE POEM
This poem is dedicated to my mother in law
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