Friday, February 17, 2006

Coloured Ways of Life

Came across this absolutely great piece through chain mails that circulate in few groups of which I am a member. I do not know the name of the author.

According to the mail "This poem was nominated poem of 2005 for the best poem, written by an African.........amazing thought!!!"

When I born, I Black,
When I grow up, I Black,
When I go in Sun, I Black,
When I scared, I Black,
When I sick, I Black,
And when I die, I still black..

And you White fella,
When you born, you Pink,
When you grow up, you White,
When you go in Sun, you Red,
When you cold, you Blue,
When you scared, you Yellow,
When you sick, you Green,
And when you die, you Gray..

And you calling me Colored ?????????

The greatness of the stuff lies in the simplicity with which it makes a severe impact on once thoughts. There is a sort of innocence in the way its written - like its written by a hurt child. The hurt is so plainly put that it disarms. I am sure poets don't write such stuff - its natural.

2 comments:

  1. There is another humorous one too, an image. Of the same idea. Maybe I saw a poster somewhere ...

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  2. Well, this racist propaganda was on my tee shirt bought from a shop in Bondi Beach, NSW, Australia about 11 years back. This ain't new; seems you are a very young kid just out of your school.

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