As my alarm went off to remind me to write my poem for the day, I realised that I had nothing to write about, no inspiration at all. So I turned to Netflix as you do when procrastinating and chose to try again later. 20 minutes into the show BlackAF, one of the characters said the full name of another character and a light switched on in my mind. I paused the show, grabbed my notebook and pen and began writing.
What’s in a name you ask
Oh but my whole being
What’s in a name you say
The history of those that came before
The struggles of my ancestors
The positioning of my tribe
What’s in a name you wonder
My truth that follows me
The community I often forget
The family I take for granted
What’s in your name you say
The drums that bang in celebration
Of identity identified
And culture realised
That’s in my name I say.
Thank you for reading.