with graceful ease you gave your children life
from the deepest and loveliest part of you
you shaped and molded us into the strong and dark image of you
with your lush vegetation you adequately provided for us
you sheltered us from the sweltering sun
from the bowels of your soul came treasures untold
always, you make us strong—MAMA

******

then the foreigners came
greedy, conniving, violent, colonial powers came
trampling—too dark, they say, let in light
destroying—uncivilized, it’s their Christian duty to humanize
killing—like animals, trophy-hunted for the gaming
snatching—freedom stolen, for plantations of free labor
raping—black bodies assaulted, fulfilled their sexual desire

******

for hundreds of years
trampled
destroyed
killed
snatched
raped
but always, you make us strong— MAMA

******

and there you lie MAMA
open and barren
your treasures stolen
your body exploited
your children taken to far distant shores
their ancestry and identity stripped away
don’t you fear MAMA

******

your children are here

******

we endure—never silent!
we revolt—never silent!
we reclaim—never silent!
the blood of your children flows like river—MAMA

******

our cries ascend—never silent!
our tears descend—never silent!
freedom—never silent!
freedom is—never silent!
freedom is coming—never silent!
freedom is coming but that is just the beginning we can never never be silent
because always, you make us strong— MAMA

******

we’ve paid with our lives
whipped-lynched-shot
we’ve paid with our tears
raped-violated-humiliated
with our blood and our tears we reclaim
we reclaim you, MAMA
with our blood and our tears we reclaim our heritage, MAMA
for always, always you make us strong, MAMA

******

MAMA AFRICA

2021 ©Dee Min. All Rights Reserved 

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In creative solidarity, Dee