Chido Murambiwa, Grade 11
UWC Waterford Kamhlaba
Was it how bright my attire was? How hard my ancestors thought to carve our history into our clothing?
Too loud?Too proud?
Was it how thick my accent was?
Too forceful? Too uncomfortable?
Was it how I stuttered even though English has marked so much in my ancestors' soil?
Too scared? Too shy?
Was it how I begged frantically for help because I was scared to be another hashtag?
Too close? Too much attitude?.
Was it how my hair looked that day… I wanted to straighten
Too knotty? Too unruly?
Was it how I left everything to get a quarter of what you have?
Too stereotypical? too much suffering?
Was it how I didn’t mention Nelson Mandela after every phrase?
Too different? Too quirky?
Was it how I side eyed you…but I was scared you’d report me
Too mocking? Too pompous?.
Was it how you couldn’t care less when you saw how unpronounceable my name was…I forgot to put Jane down I stead.
Too complicated? Too African?
Was it not Wakanda enough for you?
Less african? Less romanticized?
Was it because it wasn’t like the UN pamflet
Too loud?Too proud?
Was it how thick my accent was?
Too forceful? Too uncomfortable?
Was it how I stuttered even though English has marked so much in my ancestors' soil?
Too scared? Too shy?
Was it how I begged frantically for help because I was scared to be another hashtag?
Too close? Too much attitude?.
Was it how my hair looked that day… I wanted to straighten
Too knotty? Too unruly?
Was it how I left everything to get a quarter of what you have?
Too stereotypical? too much suffering?
Was it how I didn’t mention Nelson Mandela after every phrase?
Too different? Too quirky?
Was it how I side eyed you…but I was scared you’d report me
Too mocking? Too pompous?.
Was it how you couldn’t care less when you saw how unpronounceable my name was…I forgot to put Jane down I stead.
Too complicated? Too African?
Was it not Wakanda enough for you?
Less african? Less romanticized?
Was it because it wasn’t like the UN pamflet
www.unitedworldwide.co