The Sacrificial Lamb | Queen Shalom Ebere Anthony

I was the opener of the womb
My cry was heard by my household
It was painful and joyful
They were on cloud nine

As I grew up,
Expectations mock me
The sailing storm and raging wind
Shook my ship

I was almost drown and swallowed
Confusion and questions cloud my mind
It dawn on me
Am at the altar of sacrifice

As a guiding star leads
I am a ray of hope
The sunshine that lights mother Earth
The moonlight that shuns darkness at night

Just as I opened the womb
I must set the pace
To receive the prize
I must pay the price

I wonder if I would be sold or given out
I am in the prison of tradition
About to be executed
Alas! It's my fate.

Poet's note: This poem mirrors the travails and struggles of the first child in the African family. They are saddle with great task and responsibilities forgetting their personal dreams. Every first child is a pace setter and must lead the path for others to follow. They are a sacrificial lamb in the altar of tradition and cannot complain but accept their fate. This poem is dedicated to every first child.