I wrote this after I heard the song, MAMA Africa by Akon. I may not be his biggest fan for many reasons but this particular tribute to the motherland made me think about myself as a woman and about other African women. Our similarities and differences, our likes and dislikes and the different things we regards as beautiful in different African cultures where the female form is concerned.
There’s something about the spirit of an African woman which you cannot kill or quench. Her presence takes you in and leaves you in awe of who she is. Do Enjoy!
She is all woman
She is African
She is you
She is me
Together we are all things African
Her colour every blend
Her chestnut brown skin glistens
Her dark skin like caramelised brown sugar
Soft to touch
Sweet to taste
She is all woman
Anytime, any day, anywhere
Today she is sheer espresso
Tomorrow she will be golden honey and the day after, classic bronze
An the day after the day after, spicy nutmeg
Yet, her black and brown shines through all season.
She is alive and spicy brown is her name
She is every colour the earth calls her
Monday, she is mocha
Tuesday, she will be cappuccino
Wednesday, she is mahogany
Thursday, she’s hazelnut brown
And on Friday, she is walnut-brown
She is rich like the earth
White teeth adorns her mouth
When she smiles
Her black sparkles
She is you
She is me
She is all woman
She is African and lyrical
Wild at heart, giddy like a child
Cosmopolitan and Afropolitan
She is traditionally modern
Seductive brown eyes
Curvaceous hips
Legs shaped to point
She embodies grace
She is beauty
Elegance, her name
She is love
Hospitality her gift
Nurturing hands and a caring heart, her trade mark
Her round breast fills her chest
Satisfying her child through the years
She is Mother Africa
Her exterior, strong like the coconut
Protective and adaptable
To every season and weather
But she is the succulence and opulence of the coconut
When you peel past her outer layer
Luscious like bush mango from the Amazonian jungle
Sweet like honey
Wild and full of mystery
But her calm and cool
Like the breeze of the forest tress against your skin
She is you
She is me
She is all things African
And she is wild at heart
African and lyrical is her name
© 2007 Belinda Otas
Image: AfriKaneye.wordpress.com
