Caribbean Poetry: An African Proverb (It Takes A Village To Raise A Child)

                                              Caribbean Poetry: An African Prover 

                                               (Takes a Village to Raise a Child)

                                                    copyright 2015 K. Omodele

It takes a village to raise a child,

In my tribe, loyalties deep and overflow like the Nile

My women- fierce lionesses, bare panther paws-

fang and claw for the light, Yaa Asantewas.*

Queens rinse man-children's feet that done danced with jinn

Violets firm facing 'gainst tree-uprootin' winds

Aunt-ies, Cousins, Sisters, Earths, Moons and Soil

I salute my whole tribe that did raise a child.

You know this village done raised a child

who turned away, an' SPLURT a mad dash fi di wild?

But my tribe's fire lighted paths, beaconed and called

Omowale- son returned like the Prodigal.

When my tribe's seeds spring forth, Earth's nurture fruit

A child's name- first thought so that word breathes Truth

The Son Rises- Omodele- sound em-powers youth

This village raised a child; 'ey, Yo Tribe...SALUTE!

* Asantewa~ Asante/Ashanti Queen who fought against the British in the Ashanti Wars.

K. Omodele

----------------------------------------------------------end-------------------------------