Broken Beyond Repair
A quarter section split in two,
Wide, livid eyes deep in life
Peers into the map of my tragedy.
Thick is beautiful Bahbel.
Thick is new.
She is strong and humble,
She is pure.
Wile is your freedom, Bahbel,
Wile is your muse.
She has chosen you,
To be her temple,
That many will attempt to conquer
But will crumple under your rage.
Frizz is your teacher,
She is your guide.
Look into that mirror
And see her smile.
Frizz is your own comfort
That will always allow
You to be raw.
Raw is real, Bahbel,
Raw is a gift.
And you are preciously made,
Just like the kiss
Of your curly, thick hair.
A woman’s hair is made on sacredness,
But yours was designed to
Transcend the nakedness
Of a society too stubborn
To see a real Guyanese beauty.
Theirs is a chore made duty,
But yours, yours is magic
Blessed by the land.
Mended together from the fibres of
Six pairs of hands.
From the coils of your roots,
To the bounce of your spine,
Bahbel, you will age like
The taste of precious red wine.
Come, leh Mama show you the path,
Weave these lessons through your hair.
Nurture the ideals of real womanhood.