Article 8: For my Daughter, Rhea

Tena Hart

There is love in the midnight sky,

And it is you and me.

It is the moon and the stars that shine,

From the heavens.

As if they had sent a dove,

To guide me through,

This new and exciting time.

A love that has given me the ultimate blessing which is Gods greatest creation.

A love that has given me the best feeling of all and that is becoming a mom.

A love that I will remember for all the days to come.

A love that is a part of me and your dad,

Combined into one.

The kind of love that will continue to grow as you grow.

A love that I will be able to see in your eyes.

A love that I will be able to hold.

A love that has sent me more than a wonderous dove.

It is the kind of love that is the best part of me which is you.

It is the kind of love that I never knew,

Until I found out I was having you.

It is the kind of love that I will know forever as we walk this journey together

Authors’ Bio: Tena Hart, is a Cree woman from Pukatawagan Manitoba. She is 29 years old and is currently in her last year of Bachelor of Arts. She has a six-month-old baby, to whom she dedicated her first poem too. The second one is for her mother, who has taught her many things throughout life. She has always had a love for writing poetry, since the passing of her brother in 2001. She explains that it was a way for her to express the feelings that she was going through during that time. It has been such a long time that she has not written anything and is very happy to share her work with many other artists. It gives her a sense that she was meant to share her personal stories through poetry, which is something she always wanted to do. She extends her greatest gratitude and says thank you and she hopes you enjoy the poems.

Instructor Remarks: Tena Hart loves poetry. While taking the online course of Indigenous Women and Literature, she practices her poetry writing skills. “For My Daughter, Rhea” expresses a young mother’s love for her newly born daughter and appreciation of the pleasure her daughter has brought to her life. As a daughter herself, Tena also expresses her love for her mother through the poem of “My Mother’s Hands.” She uses languages to create a vivid picture of her mother’s hands and her photo “My Mother’s Hands” her poetic description of the love that the hands passed onto her—Dr. Ying Kong.