Ola Poetry: African Proverbs

It takes a whole village to raise a child

My mother threw me to the street
Said it will train me better
The next door neighbors said go left
Her husband said go right
The youth said stay put
The old said grow up.
The village raised me apart
I am a diverse whole
Scattered across myself
I took every advice
The village condemned me today
Praised me the day before
Banished me afterwards
It takes a whole village to raise a child
Takes the same village to ruin her.

LARDO