if i never
see Africa again
i will die with her
upon my heart…
her warmth and
abundance of spirit
and love.
how i walked
her streets
and roads
and dined
on her delicacies
of simplicity:
spicy joloff rice
and fufu
pounded soft
and ugali and
the greens
that provided
simple sustenance.
if i never
see
Africa again
i will remember
how i traversed her
from west to east,
then south
her cities
and her islands…
i will revel in the
sweetness
of her oceans and lakes.
i will honor the unacknowledged
beauty of her people/my people
in various shades and colors
from copper to cream
and the rich black
of fertile earth;
i will hear her music
and dance
to its life-force
intoning
the ancient rhythms
of my soul.
if I never touch
the red earth
of Africa again
i will remain her daughter
proud and strong;
i will tell her stories
sing her songs
dispel her myths
right her wrongs..
if i never
see Africa again
i will
die
with her
upon
my heart.
Linda Tauhid
6/5/2015
©2015
