Where I am from Poem
I am from Ancient Ghana
I am from the culture that’s name is lost in Arab documentation
I am from the thriving city of Kumbi Saleh
I am from the sparkling white Taghaza salt mines
I am from the Great Mosque of Djenné, the largest mud structure in the world
I am from the rolling dunes of the Sahara Desert
I am from the tropical savannah of the Sahel Belt
And the fertile valleys of the Sudan region
I am from the rushing Niger and Senegal rivers
That gives us transportation and water
I am from tales lost to ages
I am from the story of Anansi the Spider buying stories from the gods
I am from the story of Biida the Black Snake, giving the wealth of Wagadu to the people
I am from the story of the river python giving the people the ability to have children
I am from the nameless kings of an empire
I am from the priests of unknown gods
I am from the family that raised me and my siblings
While still keeping a farm and trading for our food
I am from wheat and barley from our fields
I am from soups made by hand by my mother
I am from Gari Foto, Agushi, and Omo tuo
I am from mutton, chicken, and thick broths
I am from the hand carved masks
Made by the local craftsmen to sell to traders
I am from the large mud temples
Where we worship our lost gods
I am from the sound of drums
Beating like the rhythm of our hearts
I am from the hand weaved baskets
Made from reeds around the rivers
I am from the golden jewellery that I see on our kings
That we will never be allowed to wear
I am from the trading empire
I am from the large markets
With strange goods as strange as the people selling them
I am from the camel tamers
Who tamed the wild for the sake of wealth and prosperity
I am from the polytheistic worship
I am from names of gods lost to time
I am from the spread of Islam
And learning that there is only one god, not many
And that we listen to his words in the Qur’an
I am from the pass times
I am from playing drums and singing songs
I am from dancing and celebrations
I am from camel racing and chasing
I am from the hot sun beating down my neck, making me sweat
I am from the sight of waving heat lines off the ground
I am from a parched, sandy tongue
I am from the laughter and sounds of drums
I am from the smell of cooking and farm animals
I am from Ancient Ghana
I am from the culture that’s name is lost in Arab documentation
I am from the thriving city of Kumbi Saleh
I am from the sparkling white Taghaza salt mines
I am from the Great Mosque of Djenné, the largest mud structure in the world
I am from the rolling dunes of the Sahara Desert
I am from the tropical savannah of the Sahel Belt
And the fertile valleys of the Sudan region
I am from the rushing Niger and Senegal rivers
That gives us transportation and water
I am from tales lost to ages
I am from the story of Anansi the Spider buying stories from the gods
I am from the story of Biida the Black Snake, giving the wealth of Wagadu to the people
I am from the story of the river python giving the people the ability to have children
I am from the nameless kings of an empire
I am from the priests of unknown gods
I am from the family that raised me and my siblings
While still keeping a farm and trading for our food
I am from wheat and barley from our fields
I am from soups made by hand by my mother
I am from Gari Foto, Agushi, and Omo tuo
I am from mutton, chicken, and thick broths
I am from the hand carved masks
Made by the local craftsmen to sell to traders
I am from the large mud temples
Where we worship our lost gods
I am from the sound of drums
Beating like the rhythm of our hearts
I am from the hand weaved baskets
Made from reeds around the rivers
I am from the golden jewellery that I see on our kings
That we will never be allowed to wear
I am from the trading empire
I am from the large markets
With strange goods as strange as the people selling them
I am from the camel tamers
Who tamed the wild for the sake of wealth and prosperity
I am from the polytheistic worship
I am from names of gods lost to time
I am from the spread of Islam
And learning that there is only one god, not many
And that we listen to his words in the Qur’an
I am from the pass times
I am from playing drums and singing songs
I am from dancing and celebrations
I am from camel racing and chasing
I am from the hot sun beating down my neck, making me sweat
I am from the sight of waving heat lines off the ground
I am from a parched, sandy tongue
I am from the laughter and sounds of drums
I am from the smell of cooking and farm animals
I am from Ancient Ghana