A Letter To Uncle John by Chidinma Beauty Ojebe

I’m writing from the hospital
‘Cos I’ve got to be near Mummy
Our neighbour brought her here in pains
My God, Oh! There she cries again

It began soon after Dad travelled
Mummy’s tummy started swelling
Guess her big tummy made her happy
‘Cos as it swelled so did her smile

I said to Mum, “What’s in your tummy?”
For she’d been eating a lot lately
She touched her tummy, smiled and said,
“A gift from God for you and me”

There goes a doctor and two nurses
I guess the gift is almost ready
Baffles me why God, of all places,
Should put our gift in Mummy’s tummy

I’ll sneak in behind the nurses
After all the gift is mine too
Hey wait! What’s Mum doing on that bed?
What are they asking her to push?

Got to go, my toes are hurting
But what’s that coming out from Mummy?
Looks so tiny, ugly ‘n slimy
Not too much like a gift to me

It must have gone bad inside Mummy
Even the wrapping paper’s gone!
Tears in my eyes, I feel like crying
I slowly walk back to my seat

But just then I heard a loud wail
I tiptoed back to the window
My God! The tiny ugly gift
Is now a lovely (still tiny) baby!

Uncle John, need I write more?
For I burst into the room
The baby wailed, while I cried
The nurses laughed and Mum smiled
Oh! What a lovely noise we all made!

( Chidinma is a Nigerian Poet)