Africa Is In Me

Fill the sea with precious stones;

Give them all to me to own;

Rip Europe up into two folds;

Present me a fold and a throne of gold;

Promise me fame, with all lips on my name;

I will not trade my skin, not for a day.

I stand proud and tall; Africa’s stalwart,

On the shores of the oceans;

On the lands on the south

Like an eagle, soaring;

High above the wrinkles of the sea.

I’ve fought in a thousand battles;

Vicarious, with the strength

Of a Masai warrior.

My blackened skin glows with the heat;

A heavy spear in my proud fist.

I’ve run the streets;

An African child,

Amidst rows of sun hardened mud huts;

A thin strip about my loins.

What gives more delight

Than playing in the sand?

Building sand domes without a scaffold.

I’ve strolled the tropical bush;

Welcoming romantic danger,

In the eyes of a leopard.

I’ve greased the bumpy trunks

Of the mighty Iroko tree,

With the fat of the hide

Of the leopard I skinned.

I’ve watched with glee;

I shield my eyes from the sun’s glare;

As the end of the Nile

Kisses the gold tapered sky.

I’ve toiled the soil,

With the edge of my plow.

I’ve watched maize shoots,

Springing from my mound,

Filling my soul with hope.

And I’ve eaten hope,

From the seeds that I sowed.

Africa is in me;

I’m a true born to the skin.

Africa is in me;

The precious air I breathe.

Africa is in me;

She is my glee and my meat.

would curse that day I was born,

Were it on some other shore.

About these ads

9 Comments on “Africa Is In Me”

Jingle
November 4, 2010

http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/thursday-poets-rally-week-32-november-4-10/
you are represented as fresh poets to explore at our Poets Rally week 32.
you will get some traffic when poets visit you…
I invite you to become a participant, which helps you get poetry awards upon making a minimum 18 comments to participants.
Thanks for the considerations. Link in a poem via commenting under the post when you are ready.
Happy Thursday!
xxx

Reply
Jingle
November 4, 2010

stunning imagery.
keep it up.

Reply
- Poetoria
  November 4, 2010
  
  Thanks for your comments, I dropped by at your site and I can see you are doing a great job there, hope to join in the fun as soon as I can. thanks
  
  Reply
idolized
November 4, 2010

NIce!!! i am proudly african… and now, if its even possible, i am prouder, beautiful Tols, u did it again!!!

Reply
- Poetoria
  November 4, 2010
  
  Thank you Ized
  
  Reply
ronke
November 4, 2010

WOW! WOW!! WOW!!!……
Ain’t i short of words? I love this!!! the last paragraph especially.

I am proudly an African and I will never regret being one.
Thanks for putting in ink thoughts i might never be able to express so explicitly in writing or words.

I am proudly an African and more Proudly a NIGERIAN!

thumb up Tolu!!!

Reply
- Poetoria
  November 4, 2010
  
  thank you Ronke… and thanks for dropping by
  
  Reply
Benjamin Franklin
November 4, 2010

Very beautiful poetry. I like it. Thanks for sharing

http://autospirit.wordpress.com/

Reply
- Poetoria
  November 4, 2010
  
  … and thanks for reading
  
  Reply