Tale To Tell Of Africa
for D. E. Wasake

one African mama, skirt ta hol onto
an you know her better dan us
all we know bout Africa, we proud of

what you talking bout shame
who could put Africa down
when we want Africa ta pick us up

in it is der birtplace of all humanity
or das jus what somebody say
an it een true

in Africa great, in das where
der lion roar and der waterfall roar
an herds, like no where else on eart
tunder across planes

what ta be ashame bout Africa
all I know is dat I wan’ get dere
I will kno wus true when I see it
truer dan national geographic

Africa fur me is big and tall
an it go way back
slavery jus about four weeks
a history, of der story

what ta be ashame about Africa
ashame bout monkey

in monkey wonderful too, beautiful too
could clime an could make fun
even mak fun a people

monkey noises, what dey mean ta say
what dey tryin to say
mean tings bout Africa

who coul say mean tings
bout who dey tief so much from

what dey sayin, Africa stupid
ta let dem get away wid it
wid what dey carry off

gol and people an ivory
and animals ta fill deir zoos wit

but der nile still dere
dey couldn’ carry dat
der sahara still dere

der tief, say der Japanese,
lef the moon, shinin in der window

in Africa is creation
yur can’ carry dat
yur gatter leave it

in dey gur burry yur in it
cus it bigger dan a stadium a people
laffin at or about
what dey don understan’

in you here ta teach us
who dum an’ bline
an’ hungry fur identity

ours still bakin, still cookin
we don kno if or when it gur done

we stick a flag in cake batter
but it leanin’, it fallin, it can’ hole up

cake gatter be done ta put icin on it
ta stick candles in it


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2007
2:09 a.m. 10.12.07