The man who greeted me yesterday
sighted me from a distance;
when he came close, he apologised.
My father was often on my neck with excuses;
it was my sister he wanted to call
each time he raised his voice and said my name;
my mother said he wanted to have a girl.
At my birth, he arrived with five ribbons rather than three,
having christened me Juliet, my mother named me Julius.
I could not yet understand why I wore my sister’s gowns,
though my mother assured me that cross-dressing was in her genes.
She was wearing Uncle James’ trousers
until the war came and he departed from there.
I comforted my mother that the war was a mistake.
How Uncle James was born was another miracle.
Throughout his mother’s pregnancy,
the scans showed a girl.
Even the feeling in my grandmother’s stomach was female.
My daughter narrated the ordeal of her classmate,
whose mother gave birth to her after a one-night stand.
The little boy had cried from a million to a thousand
after his mother taunted him that he was a mistake.
But my daughter was quick to tell him
that the messiah was also a one-night stand;
whatever time has provoked and blessed
must carry the flourish of a miracle,
though it may be tarnished in life forever.
Sometimes I ask my father if he married my mother,
marriage being the coming together of a man and a woman,
through the conjugation of the body.
That the body recognises this planet,
and wishes to replenish it, makes every child a blessing.
A mistake would not move the world to greatness.
My neighbour’s dog, Silicone, met me yesterday at noon,
jumped on me, wagged his tail and kissed my hand;
My neighbour said I should not worry
because I looked like him in the afternoon.
Silicone’s afternoon disease was legendary.
When the consumers of the vulture meat gather,
The rafters of the gods come on at once.
How much dirt can a man wear on his face?
All children are born to dig the graves of their parents,
and it’s not the duty of the sky to grieve for them as mistakes.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
About the Poet
Jonathan Chibuike Ukah is a Pushcart-nominated poet from the United Kingdom. His work has appeared in Propel Magazine, The Journal of Undiscovered Poets, Atticus Review, Tab, The Silk Literary Magazine, Sublimation, and elsewhere. He has won awards from Literary Shark Magazine, The Hemlock Magazine, and The Pierian.
Share Your Insights
Share your thoughts on this poem and its reflections on identity, family, and life. What resonated most with you? Comment below this page:
- How do family expectations shape your sense of self?
- Which image or metaphor in the poem struck you most?
- Did the poem make you reconsider what “mistakes” or “miracles” mean in life?
Alignment with the UN SDGs
- SDG 4 (Quality Education): Encourages reflection and critical thinking through literary engagement.
- SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): Highlights diverse life experiences and family dynamics across contexts.
About the Series
This post is part of our Creative Selections series, which showcases a curated mix of poetry, short fiction and nonfiction, essays, and visual art from voices across cultures and disciplines. United by intention rather than medium, these works offer insight, beauty, and perspective on the world we share.
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