This Fire

Ebony skin,

Of darkened hue,

Mirror image of my father,

But my spirit is you.

This fire, a gift,

Passed to you, then to me,

Carries the warmth of Macooyo (great grandmother),

And ayeeyo’s (grandmothers) yearning to be free.

You remind me that freedom is always a verb,

That fires stay alive with both triumph and hurt,

So, my vow to you hooyo (mother), is to honour these flames,

Through the pain that burns, and the faith that saves.

Written by Dr Muna Abdi