Women of Africa

Women of Africa

In the land of bow and spear

Of chieftain and warrior

Of hunter and hunted

You are the silent gatherer

The unsung provider

The hidden basket

We raise you up

And speak your praise

In the shifting sands of power

You are the pyramid of constancy

Standing firm

Against the fierce winds of time

On the endless plains of possibility

You are the gentle matriarch

Leading the way

Through the fickle seasons of life

In the thirsty dust of desperation

You are the baobab of sustenance

Rooted deep

In the quenching earth of faith

You gather the tears of the world

And in the midst of mourning

You find reason to smile

You gather the tribes of the world

And in the chaos of squabbling

You sow seeds of community

You gather the stories of the world

And in the firelight of remembrance

You keep the spirit burning

Women of Africa

The music of every place

Moves to your swaying hips

And shakes to your stamping feet

Women of Africa

The children of every time

Suckle on your ample bosom

And fall asleep to your lullaby

Women of Africa

The victims of every tragedy

Seek solace in your arms

And find comfort in your voice

You gather the light of the world

And in the darkest caves of evil

You spread your luminescence

You gather the orphans of the world

And in the villages of your heart

You give them a place called home

You gather the elders of the world

And in the sacred councils of trust

You show us a better way

When our past dries to a trickle

You are the river delta

That reunites our memories

With the sea of history

When our days are drought stricken

You are the tireless pestle

That grinds our hardship

Into the flour of wisdom

When our future lies in shadow

You are the wild prophetess

That divines our destiny

In the pattern of bones

Women of Africa

In a world of folly and fear

Of division and diversion

Of begetting and forgetting

You are the mighty gatherer

The harvester of wholeness

The maker of peace

We honour you this day

And forever more

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