Best Africans Poems
History has formed us into one braid
to stay strong and never surrender to any blade
standing side by side to be each others shade.
Why then do we classify one another into grades?
So that some cut others off just b’cos they are made?
There’s still hope, this togetherness will not fade
whatever it is, we have collectively paid
let’s stop hate from this unprecedented raid
so that unity will eventually get love laid.
We are Africans! Enough has been said.
Africana, a poem that details the pre - colonial, colonial and post -colonial Africa, her rich history, struggles and unique cultural heritage in a picturesque execution.
Africa will Rise Up Tall,Bold, and rule the Earth again
But first Africans must be Africans and more, not more and black.
Mathew R, 2014.
initiator, AFRICANA - the movement ©
AFRICANA (A Poem )
"Our forebears broke kola nuts
And offered prayers
To the benevolent maker,
Whose name varied from one tribe to another.
They lived in peace and harmony."
This was way before
The meek white missionaries
Made landing on our shores.
Africana
They condemned our customs and traditions.
They said our ways were too primitive.
So they burnt down our shrines
And in its stead,
They gave us their three C's.
(Christianity, civilization and commerce)
Africana
These white saviours, in their glowing white robes Baptised our forebears
In the name of the Father, his Son and his Holy Spirit.
Whilst our fore-elders learnt how to pray,
They formed a government,
And on our natural Resources they preyed.
Africana
Albeit their government lynched our forebears.
In the church,
Both the oppressed and their oppressors
Screamed amen.
From two conspicuously separated rows;
The salvation bringers occupied the front seats
The back seats, sanctified for the blacks.
And they said their God was impartial.
Africana
They captured, tortured and shipped
Our forebears to the americas;
To work their cane plantations,
Cotton fields, paddy fields, sugar plants.
The unfortunate ones, thrown overboard
To swim Frank's ocean.
Africana
And many centuries after their first landing.
We, the descendants of former slaves,
Rose from our slumber
And fought for Africa's uhuru.
This freedom many willingly laid down their lives...
And when at last,
We were declared independence,
Our struggle for survival begun.
Godwin Henry Osaigbovo Pa Shakespeare
The Nameless
Slipping through the sieve of history,
the nameless rest.
Not for the nameless are roads renamed, nor monuments built.
Not for the nameless are songs sung, nor ink spilled.
The nameless rest.
Their silent sacrifice,
quiet ordeal,
muted trauma,
remain interred,
amongst their remains.
The nameless rest.
Not for the nameless are doctorates conferred, nor eulogies recited.
Not for the nameless are honours bestowed, nor homages directed.
The nameless rest.
They rest within us,
they walk with us,
in every step that we tread.
They rest within us,
they walk with us,
for their spirit is not dead.
“Your name is unknown, your deed is immortal”
- inscription at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier WWII in Moscow
Special thanks to my dearest elder sister Tasneem Nobandla Moolla, whose conversations with me about life as a non-white person growing up in pre and post-Apartheid South Africa prompted me to write this dedication to the countless, nameless South Africans of every colour, whose sacrifices and dedication in the struggle against Apartheid tyranny must never be forgotten.
My sister’s middle name ‘Nobandla’ which is an isiXhosa name and means “she who is of the people” was given by her godfather, Nelson Mandela, my father’s ‘best-man who could not be, as Nelson Mandela was unable to-make it to my parent’s wedding as he was in jail at the time in the old Johannesburg Fort. This was the 31st December 1961.
Africa for africans
Life started in africa
Your roots are in africa
as some African
young leaders
are standing up
with the problems
of millions of Africans.
they know well
about
the work they are doing ...
Africa's advocates
who know
the consequences
of the dangerous tasks
which they are choosing ...
Just to help their compatriots.
they can be wiping out
silently
at any moment
by the problems
makers.
Young leaders who saw
the struggles,
Struggling to convince
some folks
Who ignored
their struggles
for centuries.
But
Africa will rise
Africa will rise up
Africa will rise and
shine the whole World.
Africans Rejoice,
Arise and clap your hands
Echo again the voice of nature
Patter your feet on the soil of your birth
Jig your waist in pride of your endowment
In response to the drum beat of life!
See the victorious sunlight is spread
Over the gloom of your clime
And under the blackness of your skin
Burns the fire that refines the earth
That is why you must be black!
Africans rejoice,
Arise and clap your hands
Echo again the voice of nature
Patter your feet, jig your waist and
Let no man or civility ever put off your fire!
Fields where the bondman’s toil
No more shall trench the soil,
Seem now to bask in a serener day;
The meadow-birds sing sweeter, and the airs
Of heaven with more caressing softness play,
Welcoming man to liberty like theirs.
A glory clothes the land from sea to sea,
For the great land and all its coasts are free.
From “The Death of Slavery” - Poem by William Cullen Bryant
On this August day unclouded and drenched by sun,
Millions gaze back down history’s road of red dirt
For a testimony in memory strong enough to assert
The four-century path of great wrong they had to run.
All men are created equal…that famous creed…
Spoke by the founders in bigotry and greed
To buy them a selfish liberty and us a silent grave,
To make narrow-minds reign and tolerance die,
And to raise their banner over the head of the slave,
Adding their mark of racism to God’s clear blue sky.
In our heart our souls await the Lord’s avenging day
And for the winds of heaven to waft and play.
Thank God for legs able to march four hundred years
And for arms strong enough to make the enemy flee.
We now plead by the Psalms of David to be free,
With words so grave as to not be eluded by ears.
No longer bewildered by the curse of Cain,
Undaunted we march with God’s justice to gain.
Our steps have caused the infringed land to quake,
As we roll on dreaming of our liberty to seize
A treasure that generations assayed to take,
Knowing deeply that nothing less will appease.
This four-century trek has mitigated our dread,
Preparing us to raise our banner over their head.
Though our wisdom can enable us to vilify injustice,
We must depend on God to defeat its monstrous sins--
For it is by His wisdom that the arc of justice bends,
And continue to show our faith for Him to trust us.
Four centuries we have called on God to break the chain
And return to us our strength and passion once again.
The day has come for us to stand and face the sunrise,
With a new spirit and a shout of joy for the new day.
We must now escape this virtual yoke of lies
And standfast in the liberty for which Christ did pay.
A hymn of thanks we sing for a long-awaited deliverance
And for the glorious liberty of the children of Providence.
What happened yesterday
Can change today.
When a person understands
His" her" capacity
He "she" can not see borders
To enter some world competitions
Where racism and injustice
Are not principal choices.
Power of beauty and wealth,
Some daughters of some poor in the Competition with some daughters
Of some rich people.
Yesterday when I saw you in miss universe,
I said,"wow! Yeah, they are there
To show their beauties
As other races. "
Participating in such
Universal competition,
It is not an easy task.
From local competition to national,
From National competition
To universal competition.
To have a miss universe title.
Yesterday,
When I heard about black American women
Who won miss America and miss USA
Another black african woman who won
Miss South Africa and miss universe.
Their wins encouraged
More black women in the world
Who were discouraged
By injustice, tribalism,
Regionalism,
Corruption and
Racism in some countries.
Power of beauty and wealth,
A beautiful woman that a man saw yesterday
Can stick in his mind for some years.
Men know what they want,
It is hard to change their choices.
White man marry a beautiful black woman
" or white woman"
A black man marry a beautiful white woman
" or black woman."
Men like the beautiful flowers ...
It is their nature.
Beauty women are like beautiful
blue, black, red, rose, orange, yellow,
white, khaki, chocolate, green flowers
Every man has his favorite coulours.
Power of beauty and wealth,
The style of beautiful women of yesterday
Differ to the style of beautiful women of today
But their attractions don't change in the eyes of men.
Beauty of a woman is
A strongest magnate
Which attracts,
And captures
Millions of men
But
The wealth of a woman
Is a silent
Missile
Which terrify trillions
Of world men.
Majority men are arrogants and
They hate to be dominated
By any woman.
This piece of poetry portraying some truth,
Naked truth about small matters with
Some solutions.
Majority rich women of yesterday
Were so arrogants and
Those of these days
are still very arrogants.
Marriage of two arrogants...
Man and woman
Can not last,
Unless one of them bound.
May 5/2023
Writting for contest sponsored by
Constance la France
Theme: YESTERDAY
Africa is very rich continent in the World
But many Africans die daily in Mediterranean sea
Sad to see how natural resources are robbing daily,
Evaluating the economy of African countries
None is closer to a poorest European Country
Complicating system which oparates to favour
EU Countries,their partners and wreck Africa.
February 25/2023
A forms and words challenge poetry contest
sponsored by Sotto Poet.
Chosen them: ABSENCE.
...First place win
In the Contest...
Africans are all of us
My dream for our nations - to forget what has been
To focus on here - and where we're right now
Our hearts will remember, our eyes have yet seen
Come here in the present - kneel down with a bow;
Not to each other - but each others pride
Let’s lay down the roots of t’was evil inside
Neither of us has no anger to hide
Our God and our "Nkosi", be You still our Guide!?
Unite segregation of hearts far apart
Create what could be the real African art
Not your’s - ever mine, would no soil here belong
A Paradise broken will prey all along
For a place in the ancestors' legacies left
to those who left life and what seemed then like theft
Will elimination foresee what was lost?
Will legions of violence provide for the cost?
"Modimo", Our Father, we give You our land
Please, "Siyacela", lead us by your Hand
Political parties have failed to unite
Teach us to see them - in The Creator’s Light
“O fidise dintwa” is not really true
"Hemelse Here", we give up to You!
Colours of rainbow should come from Above
I'll contribute to the "Simunye" Love.
I
Paul warned his "son" Timothy, On Guard
In the end time, many false prophets disguised
Even as angels from heaven, will tickle ears
And many will be led astray; Jesus is "too much"
To take, one in Adelaide told me:
The Bible takes you that much, "eyes" that see
Know the apple was really a "sexual act" in Genesis 1
Brennan (Branham, yes, Anaya) tells them much more
About serpents and Adam who didn't sin
So blame Eve & Women, Jesus needs help
From prophets born in modern nations we know ...
Where does it end? Spoken Word & other "church" finds a new prophet
Who teach us how to read The Word --
As the Popes, priests, Pharisees did
Roundly rebuked in Matthew 23
How easy: heretics say, they alone can see
Jesus had an answer there too (John 9)
THE AFRICANS OF OLD.
The Africans of old
At night, slept and of Africa
For Africa they dreamt
Of a day to come
When Africans will be free
Uhuru Uhuru Uhuru
From every form of enslavement
And oppressions.
The Africans of old
In peace and harmony coexisted
mpende jirani yako kama unavyojipenda
Oh they knew how to live
For self and their community
Ubuntu Ubuntu Ubuntu
Hold a man up in his most darkest hour'
For I am because we are.
The Africans of ages past
Held true friends with both hands
For to wash one hand properly
The other is implore.
Won mo 'That a man without a good friend
Was he without a good fortune'
Awethu Awethu Awethu
Because the power to be - ing
Resides with the people.
ghops
Africans
The colour of their skin
Is a hated thing
Tell the world my secret
God is a bona fide african
AFRICA MY FATHER’S LAND.
AFRICAN IS AN OLD WOMAN
WHO LIVE IN A SHOE.
SHE HAS MANY CHILDREN
BUT DID’NT KNOW
WHAT TO DO WITH THEM
THAN SACRIFICE TO gods OF THE LAND.
BUT THE COLOURED CAME
AND OFFERRED EDUCATION THAT ACCOMPANIED ESIN-AJOJI.
AFRICANS GLOTONISE ESIN-AJOJI
WHILE THE COLOURED LOSE THE TASTE
THE BLACK MONKEY EMBRACED IT.
ARISE AFRICANS,
BECAUSE YOU ARE NEXT WITH RESPONSIBILITY.
GIVE BACK THE COLOURED
THEIR PROPERTY WHICH WAS KEPT IN YOUR CUSTODY
BECAUSE
THE GENERAL HAS CAMMANDED THE ARMY.
GO YE AND TEACH ALL NATIONS.
AFRICA MY AFRICANS
ARISE TO YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
AND NEVER MIND THE REPROBATE MIND
Africa for Africans
Down the rivers of the east
the soothing wind blows in our minds
shaking our busy brains to rest
making worthwhile living in Africa
bare wind of our own making
Africa of the winkled hands
white teeth under shiny dark skin
gold hearts of marvellous flesh
many but just one
we are the soil on the ground
In the rivers life water flows
down the palm of savannahs there lived wildlife
green forests of all goodness
great wind of all bare brains
however Africa is a dark land of all