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MotherlandMotherlandJourneying into the unknown, Journeying into the deep soil, Into a trunk, which has been Uprooted and stripped off it’s branches Removed from its natural soil, And thrust into a cold and bitter Climate of an unknown land Motherland Journeying into the unknown Journeying to imagine the unimaginable Journeying to confront my fears, To recover my motherland, The tired, colonized soul of My motherland Motherland We have come, We have journeyed home We have come to embrace our motherland Motherland Forgive me if I do not understand Nor speak my mother tongue, For we have been away for too long Forgive me if I do not answer When you hail my name, The name that mista smith gave me has a Different tone, an unfamiliar beat To the name that you persistently call me with, Like a frightened mother who screams for her lost child And only to hear the echoes of her own voice Motherland Journeying into the pit of my soul Journeying to recover my stolen identity Journeying to recover what humanity Stripped off my flesh Motherland We were stolen, Captured like hunted antelopes Only this hunter had no love, Nor respect for the hunted We were herded onto a boat And shipped of to an unknown destination A land that had no sunshine, A climate that is so cold it cracked my Soft skin and offered no shea butter To grease my cracked wounds Motherland We have come We have survived We have come to give thanks to those Who lost their lives on the journey And to those who were not captured But who’s heart were forcibly pieced With Kaigama’s arrow Motherland Forgive as if we do not bear our tribal marks, Forgive me if my hips do not move Ceremoniously to the drumbeat, For I am of mixed breed, Part British part Spanish I am the descendant of a slave girl A property that mista smith could Enjoy at his convenience A property that he could explore the Benefits of my hips, my upright breasts And the rhythmic beats of my waistbeads Motherland “RAPE” I heard you cry out “RAPE” I cried back Motherland I was your untouched child, But I became mista smith’s property Part of his wealth and livestock And a property cannot be RAPED Motherland Hush, do not weep We have survived we have journeyed HOME Ah Obataan pa due, demirifa due Due ne amanehunu!
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