My Daughter’s Smile

By Spliph, South Africa:

My daughter's smile

Clear as the morning of a promising spring day, so vividly apparent. The wrinkles peering from her milky cute unformed and unshaped teeth, this must be heaven.

Her voice so angelic and free, as though war never took place and my skin is globally accepted.

She speaks, taking her time to relay her curious imagination and excitement in her mind.

Such beauty must be Picasso's brush painting my heart, or the feeling of a well-fitting jacket on a cool evening stroll – freedom, in her voice’s pitch, my ears register perfection.

”Daddy” she says, ”Can you please lift me up?”

I jump to the moment and embrace her,  finally I know how superman feels every time the world shows appreciation, finally I feel the reason to push on, finally I see what love looks like.

“Can you please lift me up?” she asks.

Know now my little angel that you, I would lift for eternity.

You, I would lift through the darkest nights and brightest rainbows.

Lifting you is easy because you are my heart's light.

Your mother and I watched you enter this world,

We heard your first breath that ushered life into your body.

A beautiful noise.

I dream of the day when I finally see what I’d forever be fighting for.

My Daughter, any man who might cause you harm would have ruptured my soul and undid music,

Any man who might hurt you would have looked me for me personally and taken away my silence,

Any man who might cause a tear to run down your oval face would have either been my son or my reason for life incarceration,

My Daughter – the man who will love you for the heaven in your ”hello” would have seen favour in my saviour.

I dream of the day I would finally meet you, when you would make me a man finally,

I dream of the day I see my Daughter’s smile and it would remind me of my Mother.

My Daughter's smile.