Country wife
by Francine Cunningham
country wife,
the words she overheard
meaning unknown to her
she held her belly as life stirred within her,
it was almost time,
she had begged to go home
to be with her mother and aunties
but he had refused
he needed her here
to look after the home
he was leaving on a journey back to his land, Europe
she rocked as she sat in the tall grass that surrounded
their home, words drifted out of her mouth as she sang to
the child within her
worry had been planted in her,
country wife
there had been a woman like her from another
village, she had married one of the white men too,
but now she was gone
the woman’s husband had a new wife now,
one from his land
Photo, Home, by Francine Cunningham, 2013.
how long would her husband be gone, she wondered
would he leave before their child was born?
she gently rubbed her swollen belly
worry moved inside her,
it crawled up her back and into her head
she tried to forgot the words, country wife
34
Country wife, read by Francine Cunningham, 2013.
mixed tribez
mixed tribez
35