Early Morning Musings with My Spiritual Mothers: The Fierce àwọn Ìyàmi
- Iya Ibeji Adeyela
- Mar 31
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 6
By Iya Ibeji Adeyela Bennett for Womanist Journey
Caw! Caw! Caw!
The African guinea fowls squawk relentlessly in the back yard
Right outside my bedroom window
I respond by pulling the soft, white comforter closer to my body
Caw! Caw! Caw!
They loudly persistent
Why yinna Ogbọnla Ìyà in the back yard this morning?
I wonder out loud
You see
We have a daily dance
They mull around my front yard every morning
After I awaken
I bring grain offerings of grits or rice or seeds
They squawk and scatter when I get close
Only to return after I leave
To enjoy their treat in peace
This time it's early on the Sabbath
And I am determined to sleep in
After all the new thing is
Black women gotta rest!
Caw! Caw! Caw!
Finally
Obedient to the Call of àwọn Ìyàmi
The Mothers
I pull myself up and firmly plant my feet on the ground
Gently I hold my soft white gele-covered Orí Crown
Between two hands
And greet my Higher-Self
With sweet whispers of love and divine dreams
Ẹ káàrọ́, àwọn Ìyà mi!
I respectfully kunle with both knees and greet The Birds
Silence is the response from The Old Women
Perching gracefully in the large tree
I'm going back to bed I sleepily mutter
And turn to walk away
Caw! Caw! Caw!
They chatter fiercely
Once again I return to the window
Only to be met with
Silence
Argh ...
We continue this call-and-response game for three cycles
Finally
Humbly
I open the window
And silently listen for Their spiritual message
The African guinea fowls
Silently
Peck at Their black and white-spotted feathers
Their crowns dance back and forth
Oh! I hear you, Ìyálóde!
Time to get up
Clean up
And greet the day of Oṣẹ Jakuta
Eepa Ọya àti Kabiesiyi!
Spiritual warriors don't sleep in
Early to bed
Early to rise
All those years ago Mama said it right!
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