There was a heat wave in England last week; it was all too much sunshine for me
Coming from Africa recently but after a while I came out wondering what I would see
I met enough feminine flesh to make a good Muslim flee! Or make a black man happy
Give them a break it’s just how they were raised. It’s called cultural relativity
They were told women were evil, encouraged to rape any female they find too revealing
They were told she’ll stir up the devil in Him. So they wrapped her up and blamed her for sin
Built her a cage and a prison to safely reside, made her swallow her pride
Told her the laws can’t withstand the frenzied lust of an unrestrained man
Men are powerless, pliant and weak in the palm of a feminine hand
Surely the Queen shouldn’t let such brutes into her land
Because her subjects aren’t allowed to surrender to mere notions of gender
When the sun shines they’re allowed to submit to the heat, encouraged to bare
Miles of pale limbs in shorts and no hair! Shorts everywhere! Shorts here and there
Short shorts. Bum shorts. Cut off shorts. Bermuda shorts. Baggy shorts
Male and female shorts. Actually, I snort, they are male and white female shorts
When a brown woman strides past purposefully, I can see she’s not on a spree
She and her daughter dressed similarly, dressed like the winter is near
I expect innocence to find it queer and ask ‘Mama, why are we the only ones covered here?’
‘The End is coming against the infidels dear. The Jihad is here.’
So youth and goodness is indoctrinated, mis-educated, alienated, contaminated
Truism and individualism besieged by cynicism, populism, culturism, religionism
For the free, many a crisis there’ll be till the seed finally grows into that mighty tree
Meanwhile it seems to be that brown skin is hiding from me, covered in Modesty
A legacy of Victorian hypocrisy, a story full of chicanery, travesty and tragedy
Brown skin hides nervously, in ignominy and suddenly my pale skin fills me with Superiority
Because it privileges me, apparently, it could be the key
It lets me display my brown skin with pride, why should I hide when pale skin sits in the light
Trying to be superficially brown while my brown sister tries to be superficially white
And Brown skin hides. Saying I am retiring. I am religious. I am righteous. I am right
See brown sisters hold their men tight, ever ready to fight, for the right to share in his plight
While pale bodies go on display for a warm summer day. Looking for bargains to trade
The young the old, the not so beautiful, bodies of all attitudes are here on parade
Even age refuses to wrap itself in a charade while Brown skin shouts ‘I’m no longer for sale!’
My brown brother can’t look away, taught to feel yearning but not what to say
The change is complete, who is naked walking the street? Where is the justice of peace?
Take me home, this is too much temptation for me, I haven’t learnt to be free
I rather live in the safety of my false piety or even blame my weakness on thee
Rather than take responsibility for my sexuality, I will hide my brown skin in a black maxi
I’m from Nigeria, across the sea, conservative and free, a reactionary rebels in me
My Brown skin is still searching for yours truly still asking itself “Who I be?”
Reblogged this on Musings of An African Woman.