I'm no poet

but here’s what I know...

My Africa

A continent rich in tradition
culture overflowing
roots of all ancestry
Cities now developing
but still budding is the industry
The world’s eyes are trained to Africa
Nations’ aid goes out to Africa
Everyone expects much more of Africa

We hear of orphans bloating in Africa
of poverty prevailing in Africa
of AIDS killing in Africa
Missionaries descending in Africa
Revolutions uprising in Africa
Women still victimized in Africa
We know the faces from the television
We know the stories from sidewalk crusaders

Always ‘over there’
Always ‘those people’
All too often placing blame
lacking responsibility for humanity
Typically a mere handout
Not nearly enough of a hand up
Sustainable development requires listening
Altering the pattern demands engagement.

In My Africa
West Africa
with broad noses
planted square on faces
and eyes set dark
full of stories known and forgotten
the past riddled with civil wars
a shell of the land it once was

My Africa
Land of Liberty
where money divides
down a line ancestry started
where the rich get richer
and everyone dreams of America
while rice is life
plentiful fruits spoil for price

My Africa
Republic of Liberia
with its Atlantic breezes
rubber trees lean from the force
women dance, oh they dance
their legs flying fast
kids chasing past
in cloths that never did fit

My Africa
a glory land
where God is praised
for all success
and prayers are shared
with wishes for prosperity
a new year rising
hopes for restoration

My Africa
Mama Afreeka
with sharp sun
beating down
there’s work to be done
much togetherness can accomplish
privilege to be wielded
for the betterment of another life.