I had begun to feel the beat of the drums

My feet became light as a feather

My heart beat was in sync

With the rhythm.

I had drifted into the motherland

The earth

One with me.

I was feeling myself

Granddaughter

Of Nana Yaa Anasantwaa  

Had found herself momentarily.

Free to soar.

Until I was buffeted with the lies of

How society sees me

Us

Black wombmen.

The things told me

How they perceived my

Sensuality.

Quickly as I found freedom

Captured

Chains holding

Me were

Thoughts of me.

Not in my own voice

But those of others

Who presumed to know me

As if they were my creator

You see.

I's heard things like,

why there’s an arch in your back?

Your hips sway too much!

Don’t let me forget

Your butt jiggles when you walk.

Inadvertently I had taken all those in

Changed the essence of me.

My captures ideologies,

Of what a good
Woman should be.

I didn’t even know I had stop being me

I'd claimed the identity of another.  

I professed the heart of a lioness

Prepared to devour

enemies.

Allowed them to cage

Me.

I found myself

In a box.

A concept I couldn’t fathom

Yet the reality was that in all my fighting

To remain true to me

I’d compromised

Not good.

Worst
Not knowing
I done it.

I’d found myself

Trapped

Not sure who I am

But wanting nothing more

Then to be my own kind

of beautiful.

To unapologically  

Be me.

I granddaughter

Of Nzinga Mbande

Will take captive

My thoughts

And stay

Beautiful
My way

With permission

From no one!

© Copyright 2015 Leola Latonya Bellamy. All Rights Reserved.