The Journey of an Exiled Mother 2/3

This poetic narration presents the physical, social, emotional, and geographical realities of a young Cameroonian mother in exile. Exiled in Switzerland, she faces a series of daily challenges that transform simple adaptation difficulties into complex trials. Her journey is a delicate blend of her moods and inner struggles, during which the narrator shares her deep reflections on exile and the loss of identity. These poems become the mirror of her most intimate thoughts, offering readers privileged access to her emotions and personal questions. Initially written in English, these three texts have been translated into French. Here we present the second poem.

Where is my hometown?

O my home, O my home, when will I feel your warmth again ?
When will I stand on your land and breathe your air ?
A place of endless kindness, where hearts are open wide,
A land of generosity, where love has no limits.

Though man has hurt you with greed and carelessness,
I will choose you over and over, my love unchanged,
For you are a land of beauty, with cultures that blend,
A place where traditions flow through my very soul.

I will never forget the home where I was free,
Not a prisoner of walls, but of thoughts that bind and break.
A land of freedom, where no taxes steal our joy,
Where rules don’t cage us, but let us live and grow.

I long to breathe the pure air of my homeland,
To walk among fields that bloom in colours beyond dreams.
My home, a beautiful mix of colours so rare,
A beauty that no other place can claim.

I am a patriot, my love for you will never end,
And even if time pulls us apart, I will never deny you,
My beloved hometown, where people of all races,
All cultures, and all thoughts find their place.

There is no place, no land like the one I came from,
For in my heart, you will always be home,
My eternal peace, my refuge, my birthplace.

Kebei Raimatou 

Member of the Vaud editorial team of Voix d’Exils