| I AM AN AFRICAN by Okoli Stephen I AM AN AFRICAN I am an African, Not black I’m dark, with bright brilliant colour Bold and strong Gifted Talented And craftyDark I am Not black So, don’t pity meI am an African Not a monkey My colour is a victim Just like my poor health Dark I am Not black So, don’t pity meI am an African Not a negro I’m not helpless So, don’t pity me.’Twas through your pity, You milk my cattle ‘Twas through your pity, You harvested my crops ‘Twas through your pity, You stole ideas from Africa And brought to America.I am an African, Not black So, don’t pity me IF ONLY HE COULD TALKHistory said… At child birth The blade was lost But found it way Through the face of an innocent child Revealing his tribe.Reality reveals… At adulthood The wounds healed But the scars remain To remind him The tears he shed And the blood he lost.If only that innocent child could talk He would have said NO! His looks reveals his tribe And the scars now signpost Of his miseries He now carries tattoos With scars of hate, Favouritism And TRIBALismIf only that innocent child could talk He would have said No! About the Author:  ÓKÓLÍ STEPHEN NÓNSÓ is a poet and an essayist from Nigeria. He is the winner of 2014 SOASA AIFCE creative writing competition in poetry, a number of his poems has been published in some online magazine such as praxis magazine,Tuck magazines and some other reputable blogs. His poems come from the heart and a desire to share words of joy and happiness. He believes that poetry can be used as a tools to solving societal ills. |
