Aunt Shade Poem by Suzawaka Phiri

Grandma had a child
And she named her Shade.

No one had a darker skin
Than my Aunt Shade.

And because of her dark skin,
People mocked my Aunt Shade.

But in our beautiful home,
We all loved Aunt Shade.

But that was not enough,
Aunt Shade wanted public love.

But what Aunt Shade didn't know
Was that her dark skin was a crown
Of sacred gold.

Her dark skin made her to be
More beautiful than the moon can ever be.
Her dark skin made her to be
More royalty than the sun could ever be.

But this never crossed the mind
Of my beautiful Aunt Shade.

This never crossed my mind,
If it did, I could have spoken my mind

Her heart was very beautiful too.
Her fashion taste made her cool.

But this never crossed the mind
Of my beautiful Aunt Shade.

So she changed her skin color
Hoping the public will love her.

But Aunt Shade was wrong,
To dance to a public song.

Thus the love she wanted,
She never got it
And the love she had,
She lost.