Published May 15th, 2024
by Chelsea Awang
Loving, lying, sing song birds lull me
Our hearts are pleased, nonetheless.
Riding the earth on beauty's hard back
Then bathe, clothe, house, feed him.
Suddenly above
Suddenly period and small in the neon
tinted constellation.
Sweaty brown back curved in labour
Back curved yet again in pay
Mild and witty and pretty as me
Rotting in Sambisa's wicked belly.
Author note:
I am a descendant of the Ron people of Plateau state in Nigeria.
My people have long since held and protected their land and cultural roots, but recent crises in the region have displaced them.
My people have greatly reduced in number and we are still being exploited.
I try to convey these emotions through my poem, "Bigger than Me".
About the Poet
Chelsea Awang resides in Jimeta, Adamawa, Nigeria.
Read the poet's biography on Chelsea Awang's Artist Page.
This poem is collected in Comet #2, published in the Wax Poetry and Art Library.
Previously published in First Nations Poetry Magazine:
Indegeneity
by Ivy Mushka
First Nations Poetry Magazine is part of the Wax Poetry and Art Network.
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