A Mother’s Voice Amidst Shadows
I have borne a son into this fleeting world,
And breathed new life into the man I love.
Yet have I seen how cruel and restless souls
Do circle us, like hounds that hunt in night.
My life, to mine own child, is held most dear—
Not merely as a mother is beloved,
But as his truest refuge and his heart.
In him, I find a love both pure and strong.
My life, too, binds me to the man I chose;
Though what he feels, I know not in full truth,
Yet love I give, as freely as was given
By those who placed their trust in me through him.
Yet when these hounds of malice bare their teeth,
He falters, unsure how he ought to stand.
Fear shapes his steps, and alters all his ways,
Till innocence becomes his guarded shield.
Thus is he wearied by their shadowed force.
But still I hold one truth above all else—
That hearts made true, and bound in honest love,
Shall prove a fortress none can overthrow.
For what is real shall guard us through the storm.
The world is filled with voices harsh and loud,
With ancient fears that kindle needless flames.
I see such sights, and feel their heavy weight,
That chills the spirit and disturbs the mind.
Within our home we seek a place of peace,
Yet when that hound draws near with haunting cry,
All calm is shaken, and our paths must change.
So has its presence sown a trembling fear.
And still I mark, through stories writ by time,
That those who walk in harm and dark intent
Do meet an end befitting of their deeds.
Though we would spare them, fate shall take its course.
Thus stand I firm, though trials press me sore—
A mother, woman, keeper of this love.
And in that truth, I find my strength to endure.
— Jessy Jacob
