CHIDERA UGOCHUKWU WINS MONTHLY WRITERS SERIES, SEPTEMBER EDITION WITH HER POEM ; BLACK IS KING.
1) A tale of fifty four brothers sandwiched side by side,
Pitching tents from grassy plains, sand dunes and beyond ocean tides, Each tribe nestled in its mapped out niche, One man's language is another man's gibberish,
We fought wars and bones from its ruins formed bridges to make peace,
We unite where stars fuse on the African union flag like gametes,
2) Our arrays of dishes are like palettes bearing bright colours,
A delicate mix of primary and secondary hues is a combo of antidote for ulcer,
As rainbow cuisines are to the South, fiery pots are to the Northern nations,
A mesh of music and curry flavoured party jellof are staples of our celebration,
Africans are happy people; we mash lemons to make sour squash,
We are home to brass, leather and woodworks branded into vibrant montages,
3) Our jigida quivers around our waists like bells at the annual Jingle ball,
Our kente and Ankara have invaded global closets making a viral return,
Our talking drums have evolved into creation and exportation of Afro beats,
Churning anthems that form bridges to urban streets,
The Ghanaian cocoa butter keeps our melanin taut in chocolate shades,
We feed our kinky hair with shea butter spices and weave in ridges and braids,
4) We eat our words like new yam with proverbs that drip like spicy oil,
Asians have bit coin; we dig Algerian gold and trade Nigerian palm oil,
Folktales like testaments have been passed on to newer generations,
Telling stories of how we rose from working on plantations,
Monarchs have landed from the skies forming descendants as off springs,
Creating a race of people who identify as black and believe that black is king.
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