Simply treat me as a man.
For centuries they called me a savage.
Not even a creature, but a beast below average.
Man made rage
Created due to a process of being held for so long in a cage.
We didn't have an opportunity of choice,
Of whether or not we wanted to be here.
You said our language was nothing.
You chose not to hear our voice.
To us, you turned a deaf ear.
When we learned your language
And you became civilized
You chose to divide, brainwash us
And fill us with lies.
To the ones who didn't have fear
You said they had too much power and didn't deserve to be here.
You took away our chiefs and our leaders
Because you felt this was the only way
You could beat us.
Then turned around
And chronically poisoned our women's fetus.
Ironically, after you felt your guilt
You asked how should you treat us?
One man stood up
As he began slowly dying on his feet
He said, "Simply treat me as a man".
After that
Your whole nation stood up
And said,
"With out me, how would you stand?"
I came in third place of an African-American culture contest at the Countee Cullen Public Library in 2004 with this poem. Ironically, the first and second place winners had nothing to do with African-American culture. The first place winner wrote on her personal experience with domestic violence and the second place winner wrote on heart break and bad relationship.
ReplyDeleteDomestic violence and heart break is not my culture. Although we may have endured and suffered pain, that is not who we are.
I entered this poem again in a world poetry movement contest recently and it awarded me a semi-finalist spot and a chance to be published in their book, "Stars in our heart". Hopefully, I'll win this contest but only time will tell.