AfroPoets Famous Writers

BRIDGING


I thought I saw last night
across a ridge,
an ebony bridge that spanned all chasms from
     Harlem to Home.
African!
     Zimbabwe with apartheid still.
     Kenya, prove the Black man's will.
     Biafra, the division is not yet killed.
African!
     Queen's English, manners so defined
     Wardrobe styled and dignified
     Darker skin and no Tarzan smile.
Afro-American!
     Handshake and dashikis too
     James Brown doin' the soul boogaloo
     People starving with nothing to do.
Afro-American!
     Idolizing TV-man
     Capitalism's also-ran
     Colloquialism's cool man.
African! From the continent
Afro-Americans! From the discontent
Brothers! Can we not implement
     a bit of faith?
     a bit of love?
For we are all truly brothers
From the womb of mother same
From the genesis we were one
Let us be one, once again.

Written by Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011)

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