Stories From The Head

The Black Mother Ahhhh, I can picture the thoughts racing through your head at this very moment. “The Black Mother”. You will probably associate this with a maternal figure from a developing country, a figure with dark skin and plenty of rhythm. This kind of stereotyping is totally uncalled for. When I decided to write about a black mother, I wasn’t limited by this clichéd way of thinking. No, my black mother is actually a mother whose physical appearance is that of a silhouette. No features, no shadings, hell, not even nipples. (How they manage to breast-feed is open for discussion). The black mother does, however, possess children. Several children. (The number of children has no direct influence on whether or not you may refer to yourself as a black mother, but if you do not possess any children, you may not use the term. You will simply be black. That is, if you are a feature- and nippleless silhouette. If you are not, you are not black, and may refer to yourself as Kasper, Jesper or Oddemann). The black mother wasn’t just any old black mother – she was a GOOD black mother. She loved and cared for her children, and they loved her back. “You are my little sea-shells”, she’d whisper (black mothers have limited vocal-chords), and the children would answer “Yes, black mother, we know”. The children always slept near the black mother’s outlines, and she would stay awake until every one of them had fallen asleep. Then she would stay awake some more, as black mothers do not sleep. One day, when some of the children were almost grown, they noticed that the black mother was fading. They immediately asked her what was wrong, and most of them started crying. “Gather round, my little ones”, the black mother calmly whispered. “Quiet down now. I am fading because I am tired. I will no longer be a black mother. I will be a grey mother”. The children calmed down, realizing it was a natural thing for black mothers to become grey mothers…. So, if you and your loved one are taking a romantic stroll in the moonlight, and you notice a flock of children followed by a shadowy figure, do not be alarmed. It may only be an elderly black mother taking her children to the park…

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