When we look at trees we see their beauty 

No flaws in sight or signs of decay

The harsh winter they endure for four months, showing their resilience 

They starve and yearn for the sun but never obtain it

Spring comes, the trees begin to bud

Showing signs of hope, emotions flowing like a flood

This process is a cycle, seeming to have no end

Once the goal is reached, you must go on the mend

My mother, a person of resilience and heart 

The way she handled her experiences, it seemed like an art

April 25, 1981, a day of joy and delight

The world gained a woman who would shine o’ so bright

Like a small bud, she had hopes and aspirations

She wanted to spread her light, across all the great nations

Growing up in the streets of Ghana in the Ashanti region 

She felt the rich sun beating on her soft black skin

The sound of music floating through the air 

This was her culture, she felt it flow through her hair 

To her, family was gold 

Having no price, something to behold 

Her Mother and Father, leaders to her

Her Brother a companion to forever love

Like a mountain, her family had pride 

Showed their confidence, nothing to hide

Her mother, with the voice of nightingale was a beacon to her

Her way of direction in this strange, mysterious world

Her mothers light guided her through all triumphs and tribulations

Something stronger than this was one single word 

Cancer.

It struck like a thief in the night

Stealing her mothers strength

Stealing the warmth of her embrace.

The plague took over her life sucking the strength from her

And so, like the setting sun

She dimmed

Fading slowly from this world, down below the horizon 

Her love that had once filled every room was gone in the blink of an eye

Her daughter losing her beacon, her sense of direction

Like a tree in the winter she began to endure tribulations 

Carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders not knowing the end

Plague began to take over her life on by one

Her companion, her brother began to fade

Leukemia.

Like her mother, her brothers light began to set on the horizon

The color and dreams began to leave his eyes 

Although his body was weak, his soul still spoke strong

“Though my light is setting over the horizon, I will rise like the moon in the sky”

Their bond would never be broken, lasting for eternity

Like a tree, the cold wind blew against her, keeping her unsettled

Her branches being disturbed, no signs of comfort

Now just her and her father living in the unknown

The emptiness taking over their lives 

Without any guidance, she looks to the stars

Seeking out her mother and brother, hoping they’re not far

She waits patiently waiting for a sign, praying for a sense of direction 

Her mother’s light, once bright and clear

Now flickers in memories, distant yet near

Her brother’s laughter, a fading sound

Whispers like the wind, lost in the ground

She stands like a tree stripped of leaves

A trunk still standing, yet shaken by grief

With every step, the world seems less kind

Her heart searches for something she can’t find

The sun no longer feels warm on her face

Only the chill of absence, an empty space

Though she’s broken, she is the tree, the one that remains

Surviving the storm, leaving only stains

Once the clouds start to clear she begins to find her ground 

Her heart, though broken, still beats with pride

For the love that they gave her, it will never subside

She has no clear answers, no reasoning or clue

But she understands, they wouldn’t want her to be blue

Though she is broken, she has the strength of the past

Her mother’s light, her brother’s laughter

Live within her, where they’ve always belonged

And like the trees, she will one day bloom

Her pain is a season, the winter’s gloom

For even in loss there is always hope

Despite all the pains, there will be a heart that grows.