Who Am I? Poem by Fatimatou Fatima21

I am the country of « teranga »
Owner of several natural ressources
Heir of good traditions
Endowed by a dry and tropical climate with two seasons.

My sons and daughters
Clothed with their ebony blackness which is light
With their beauty which is life
With their smile which is honesty
With their « jambarté » which is ambition
Are recognized of their intelligence.

I am a mother not a liar
A father not a murderer
A sister not a cheater
A brother not a rapist

Fourteen regions have me
Enriching with traditions
So favored by nature I boast
Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, by forests.

I am one of the most stable country of Africa, never had a coup
Leopold Sedar Senghor appeared with his poems
Cheikh Anta Diop with his theories
Muslim Scholars with their important speeches
Youssou Ndour with his « mbalax »,
Awakened our culture
Serere, Wolof, Pular, Manding, Djola, socé...
I am linguistic diversity
Composed both Muslims and Christians.

Door of No Return has haunted me,
Colonisation destroy me
An image that we carry within us, defining us as Senegalese
The World of democracy I choose
No lies, no corruption, no thefts
Sad for my new leaders,
But hope will always be there
I am Senegal.