I am Black – Poem

White inside, despite my black skin;

That’s the contrast of life, I imagine.

Just like you,i have got light red blood;

My heart sings life in drowning flood;

My white smile proves my innocence

From a charge that is clear nonsense;

I’m black; if you can’t stand the evidence,

Ask nature to revise both our existence.

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Ask, before, about our ancestors’ history,

About mine’s struggle for freedom, in fury;

About their endurance for their dignity,

Ask about your ancestors’ inhumanity;

Their whips on mine’s bodies, their tears;

Ask about their wounds, too deep for tears;

Ask how they had to sleep and what to eat;

About the refrain of the shakles in their feet.

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Ask how they survived their owners’ fright;

Ask why some had dreamed of being white!

Ask and ask to know and think, then ask;

Ask the longed for night what made it dark,

Ask the black birds why they always sing:

It’s to forget scars, bad memories that sting.

You’ll be told by the jazzy tunes, by the blues

Wailing my ancestors’ pain; only then, muse;

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Muse on why our anger’s as black as our skin,

Which lets the pride of our colour not give in;

For, if the colours of the world, by time, fade;

Ours’s everlasting, not dull, and so it’s made.

Our women’ll bear as many blacks as they can

Because your rules haven’t enclosed love ban!

Our roots’ll go deep; only snakes change skins!

But,as descendants from Adam-Eve, we’re kins.

 ****

As human beings, we’re certainly not paragons

But we are not either scary, harmful dragons;

We are today’s children and men of tomorrow.

Let’s make of our colours a nice world to grow;

Let’s put aside our weaknesses, our differences,

Spare our children hate and forget our offences.

Now, there’s no more slave to buy or to redeem

But  your own mind for yours and our esteem;

So let’s get the King’s great dream come true,

If not, let’s just peacefully give the devil its due!