We. Are.

Photo by Askar Abayev

For all the Shades of Us,

Tones of black,

Hues of white,

And all that holds in between,

Moving strong in harmony.

Undefeated!

We are Elephants!

"We are chapters of revelation,"

"We are travelers of science,"

But we all believe in life and hope,

With powerful voices,

And beauty to behold,

We are Lions!

 

From the land of wonder,

We all rise from gold,

Strong in our hearts,

With spears in our fists,

And fire in our voices,

We are warriors!

 

We move to the beats of our blood,

Our feet firm,

And hips warm,

Dancing to the drums of our fathers,

One rhythm at a time,

We are dancers!

 

Our resilience is in our ancestry,

A common culture shared,

In wealth and royalty,

We are Kings,

We are Shaka,

We are Mansa,

We are Asantewa,

We. Are. Africans!

 

 

© Safiyah Salawu-Ibrahim,

Shades of Us Africa.