“Why can’t you accept me

for who I am?”

I said to Nana.

“Africa may be my origin

but

She is not me.

Africa birthed me,

America raised me;

It’s not about where I come from,

It’s where I’m at.”

Nana answered, fire in her eyes,

“But child,

You got Africa in your veins,

Let the blood flow.

You can stay where you at,

but you can never stand

If you lose where you from.

Know who you are

Let the blood flow

Through

your hair,

your fingers,

your heart,

your feet.

You got

the strength,

the pride,

the royalty

of Africa in your veins,

Embrace this and

Let the blood flow.”

I came to her one day

hair braided,

adorned with a new dashiki

and twirled around thinking

I’d impress her.

Sighing, she shook her head and said,

“See, you’re falling already.”

© D.L. Lunsford