Africa Speaks Reasoning Forum

These are the words of a 12 yr old trini...

– Don’t Damn My Name -

You damn my name,
And cause me shame.
You dwindle my dignity,
Right down to humility.
Your words make me lame,
And you say I am to blame.
You bend my bravery,
Almost to timidity.

I take it all.
I stand up tall.
Sometimes I believe you shall win,
But I never give in.
I sometimes do fall,
But then I build a wall.
I ignore all of your sin,
And forgive your kin.

You dislike all that I am-
When I ask him for your reverence or say a psalm.
You detest me, my nature, my colour,
I must say it you! You racist, you don’t even bother.
All you say does so much harm.
You do not see me while I cry but while I am calm.
Why do you treat me different, unlike the others?
Black is as good, as great as the other colours.

You divide my country, my land,
Even though you know where I sit or I stand.
You are no greater a person than I,
I swear that (God forgive me) to the day I die.
Cut the skin, the same blood from my leg to your hand,
Why are you so pig-headed? Please, understand.
Don’t recapitulate yours forefathers’ lies.
Heed my pleading, hear my cries.


It is especially nice to hear youth, or rather people under 20 years (because I’m young too but not that young) give their view. Or perhaps I should say, it is nice but at times also interesting to hear their expression of their experiences and themselves. I say this because the post that 17 year old Killuminati33 sent, indeed generated so much interest, and got far more hits than most recent postings. I’m so sure that you, yes You read it, that I’m not even bothering to fill in, ‘well it was posted on…and is titled…’ Yes, the number of hits is partly because of what he said, but it is also a reflection of where his mind is and of his age. And on that point, I believe that the best way to deal specifically with his expression of himself and his environment is to leave him alone. It is unfortunate that it can’t always be seen that ‘just because’ a person is black it does not automatically make one apt in responding and everything that one says is not necessarily a dignified response. But I’m straying.

I just thought that the same way his words were read and appreciated (and I mean appreciated, in the sense that you took the time to read it and understand where he is coming from or not, and perhaps read it again). That in that same way, you can appreciate the words of this girl who is also a youth. I place them here and not in Poetry for the same people who read the said post to also read. And of course since they are trini words, they are placed here especially for my trinis to appreciate.

Please note that this is not a rebuttal to the said post. It is just this individual’s expression.
As such I strongly request that no additional mention or reference past what I have be made in relation.

Beautiful words, for the portray the truth of a sad but true perspective.