Phenomenal African
by Praise Barney, Clyde Secondary College
Winner, Years 9 – 10, written poetry
My dark skin, where history lies,
Is another reminder of my ancestors’ cries.
They yell out, “I’m Black,” and even though they sound small,
I tell them this — I say, this is for you all.
It’s the curves in my hips,
The melanin in my lips,
The tangle in my hair,
And my ability to care.
I AM AN AFRICAN — A PROUD, PHENOMENAL AFRICAN — A PROUD AFRICAN, THAT’S ME.
We sit in history class, learning about an African American’s horrid past,
And that’s when the giggles pour in — and they seem to last.
They joke about the slaves,
And they seem to sit and crave,
And wait for my rage.
But I tell them this:
It’s the bridge of my nose,
The style in my pose,
The ghetto in my tongue,
The strength of my voice when I hum.
I AM AN AFRICAN — A PROUD, PHENOMENAL AFRICAN — A PROUD AFRICAN, THAT’S ME.
Going to school felt like hell.
I entered those gates knowing what was said — I could never tell.
The racism I faced, and still face to this day,
Is what drove me to write the words that you’re about to say.
But still, I mold my words like clay,
And continuously say:
It’s the fullness of my lips,
The compliments I get on my hips,
The tears that I let drip,
The way my heart would rift.
Learning about the heritage they would soon carry with every whip,
It’s the way my confidence would slip
Every time I was stripped
Stripped of opportunities,
Stripped of ever finding a kind community,
Stripped of wisdom,
Stripped of freedom,
Because of the beautiful melanin that spread through my skin like
Blood to a bullet.
Yet still I rise.
I AM AN AFRICAN —
A PROUD, PHENOMENAL AFRICAN —
A PROUD AFRICAN THAT WILL ALWAYS BE ME!
Want to read more poems? Explore the other Years 9 – 10 finalists.