WE ARE ORPHANS BUT ARE WE OFF YOUR HANDS?

WE ARE ORPHANS BUT ARE WE OFF YOUR HANDS ??

I am that child who saw other children being pampered by a woman they called mum.

I grew up not knowing who a father was.

I grew up and all I saw was myself with many other children around me.

Around me were children who have lost their identity, having their names as ORPHANS.

I wondered why we were referred as such.

Then I realized we lost the person whom we could have called mum.
And life took away the man we could have called father.

Today, on the same mat we lie.

In the same room we lay our heads to sleep.
It would not have been so if not for the cold hands of death.
Dreadful death that took away such loved ones from us.

Occasionally, we receive items from people.
And all our ears hear is DONATION.
Through this act of kindness we feed and clothe to live.

How we wish we could stretch our hands and mum will lift us up.

Oh how we wish!
That in moments of dilemma, dad will offer an advice.

How we wish, we would ask for new clothes and mum will be there to provide.

How we wish on daddy's chest we would lie.
And as the tears dropped, he will wipe and provide a shoulder to lean on.

But today, we are here.
In a place called ORPHANAGE.
With our names, ORPHANS.
Because if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Let your hand of lifting not be far from us.
For it is not by our will that we find ourselves here.

You could have been us.
And we could have been you.
So if you have much today, remember we have none.
Remember our plight and be our light.

To you we say,
We are ORPHANS but never off your hands.

Joyce Ohenewaa Kwapong
+233(0)267968373
joycekwapong@gmail.com
Activist, Women and Children
University of Ghana, AccrbyCity Campus