dutch courage

white foam strolled on currents
one way from the ocean
that is what they call whites in africa
they say we came from the sea
mermaids shipwrecked
on forbidden shores
but my god how quickly
we shaved our gills
and cut our tails
built cities and roads
our hands brought forth buildings
cubicles anc orner oficces swallow us whole
traffic and overtime
mechanisma of our own making
we challenged the sky
feet walked this country
our bones grow from farm soil
an african tongue defines my limits
still i am something else to you
an inconvenience
a borderless colonialist
white men in africa have no blood
they say
my veins ooze scum and foam
i am a tide that never washes clean
this horse shaped continent locks me up
my dreams never shake my motherland
i went to the netherlands
to visit the trone of my forefathers
there i realized amongst strangers
same skin similar language even still
without africa there is no me