Afro Hair 101 Poem by Nika McGuin
Afro Hair 101
Growing my coils has been a journey
chopping off chemically treated strands
in my mother's bathroom mirror
an ill use for craft scissors
merely an inch hair left
looking at pictures online
I saw myself in the images
of fierce female African warriors
we shared the same haircut
the same brown skin and full lips
As my hair grew in
frizz-prone little spirals
reaching my shoulders now
so did my love of
my outer shell
in a way I never expected
But truly loving oneself
is much more about what grows
inside of ourselves
the online war rages on
between naturals and relaxed
know-it-all naturals making
accusations of self-hatred
and outraged relaxed sisters
proclaiming “hash-tag: Team Relaxed! ”
a beautiful race divided
by something as common as hair
they don’t understand the new awakening
that is called forth after stripping
oneself of artificial beauty standards
and seeing yourself for the first time
bare, African, truly beautifully
and fearfully made
Still the naturals don’t understand
loving yourself on the outside
isn't enough to live on
Loving yourself is accepting
all of your flaws and shortcomings
loving yourself is admiring
your personality, your gestures,
even your obnoxiously loud sneezes
are all part of who you are
Human beings are a working progress
as we grow older it takes time
it takes trials, failures, and successes
it takes age to truly know ourselves completely
at that stage of life we are most beautiful and confident
Becoming the master of your own hair
is just like that, a slow learning process
and one of the most rewarding lessons
~Nika
My comment on AFRO HAIR 101 cont'd from below - That shows a contemporary embodiment of those ancient warriors; it's not their spears and fighting skills, it's their quiet confidence in their value to themselves and their community. The choice of the adverb BEAUTIFULLY is obvious, but the second adverb FEARFULLY is the one that shakes me into a new appreciation of what this journey of self discovery means to you. It's a discovery of powers within which you can draw from for years to come - as the journey goes on....
This is an impressive poem and it is so thorough it hardly needs an outsider's comments. Your voice throughout is persuasive rather than partisan, quiet and assured rather than loud and pushy. That's what makes the poetry work beneath the surface story of AFRO HAIR 101 and deal directly with the larger issue of self image - which is definitely a work in progress. A line in the beginning caught my attention, namely, FIERCE FEMALE AFRICAN WARRIORS, and their spirit of courage and confidence is one of the contemporary themes your poem endorses. This ancestral heritage came through powerfully in the section on A NEW AWAKENING when you see yourself as TRULY BEAUTIFULLY AND FEARFULLY MADE.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Delivering Poems Around The World
Poems are the property of their respective owners. All information has been reproduced here for educational and informational purposes to benefit site visitors, and is provided at no charge...
4/26/2024 4:40:56 AM # 1.0.0.1119
Going through the journey from relaxed to natural can be very taxing but in the end it is rewarding. Show your true colors for beauty comes from within and not without. A lovely write Nika.