Sankofa
I am proud of you,
my child.
You,
all grown up, so sure of yourself.
You command all the cleverness of your time;
you have inherited the wisdom of your ancestors.
You have come into yourself.
You have learned to be at peace in your heart, in your mind,
in your skin.
You meet, head-on, the challenges of the day–
you have shaken off the chains of the past.
You have invented yourself on your terms.
I crown you, my child, with a triple crown
for you are master of the three kingdoms:
Yesterday,
Today,
and Tomorrow.
About The Author
Alvin Kathembe is a writer from Nairobi, Kenya. His poetry has been featured in Dust Poetry Magazine, The Short Story Foundation Journal, Poetry Potion, and other publications. He co-edited down river road’s third issue—’Asphyxia’. His short stories have been published in Jalada, Omenana, Brittlepaper and Equipoise, available on Kindle. Find him on Twitter @SofaPhilosopher.