Poem: We Are Rewriting Africa

African Poets are rewriting their destinies.

And with words of strength and courage, they are cleaning up these streets.

Since perceptions have been forced on to these observers, guilt painted the innocent and hopes were changed by lying lips,

We decided to stand up for our Truths and fight those stereotypes promulgated —

Please hold on to these papers and paperclips!

From where we are, we hope that the message moves you to be better, we are better than that —

We are better…

Yes, we are better than this!

We deserve better.

Please hold on to these papers and paperclips!

Dancing feet, enjoy your time since it is now Azonto, Coupé–Décalé, Hip-Hop, Rumba, Samba, Shoki, and Soca or even Zouk —

Why would you ever sit?

Dancing knees, those old Blues and Jazzy melancholic times are of the past — don’t you have a seat!

We are better…we are (indeed) better than this!

Black People made the world hold on to her hips.

Why don’t we build our communities, create ways to coexist and manage our wealth as we preserve our chips?

Let’s clean up these avenues, roads, and streets!

If we do not then who will uphold our dignity.

African activists, artists, educators, entrepreneurs, and scientists are rewriting the fate of their own —

It is time that we take care of our own!

Please hold on to your hips…

We are better than this!