Who Am I

Who am I? I am a lion who comes out as a goat I am an ocean with waves big enough to drown I am a child of Mesopotamia A descendant of Shaka Zulu Baptized in the Nile I depict the sword of Mansa Musa I am the backbone of civilization An icon of emancipation I represent the pyramid of Giza And the lighthouse of Alexandria A symbol of hope And an emblem of freedom I am a depiction of Chinua Achebe ink An illustration of the hieroglyphic I am the carapace of Hannibal And the shield of Tunka Manin I am a player of the djembe And the author of Sundiata Epic I am an inheritor of Timbuktu A citizen of Kumbi-Saleh A compadre to Askia Muhammed And a son of Mansa Musa A follower of Kwame Nkrumah And a kinsman of Ahmet Sekou Toure I am the native son of Gao A fisherman of Lake Victoria A Tuareg from the Sahara I hailed from the cradle of life I am the black in Panther And this is really who I am, A black man.