Wettlauf Um Afrika

Wettlauf Um Afrika

Africa is known for its wildlife

But is it attracted or given birth?

When lots are drawn by foreigners

Who is it that decides our worth?

Your map of Africa is very nice

You're not interested in seeing mine

Take a victory lap and claim ownership

Frenchman, Arab, Englishman and kind

It is not that we were born without silver spoons

It is what was attracted by their glow

Brothers became masters and other slaves

Sometimes the Nile floods with bodies,  don't you know?

The rubber man took my hands so I can't salute,

The civilizers left me barren and destitute

Across the gulf my sister was sold as a prostitute

They fight over who's evil was less absolute

What does your guilt even constitute?

Surely men who cherish their good repute

Do you even see me in your charities and institutes?

(Do you even see me in your charities and institutes?)

The desert winds move the sands

They cover what misery was built by hands

You might scramble for Africa

But is it you Africa wants?

Post script - not being neither African nor of any of the colonizing powers, the poem is really more about trying to embody something to understand it. The title, “Wettlauf Um Afrika,” is German for “The Scramble for Africa.” The reason why I decided to use the German title is as a reference to the Berlin conference. Initially this piece was going for my drawer but after being told it’s a strong one, I decided to post it here. Draw your own conclusions and by all means, ask.