Before I Knew

Ma trusted Monrovia

with my first breath.

They called me

Fat Fury. Furious Fat.

They carried me

into the bush,

where the Country Devil

danced with me

and placed a blessing

on my journey.

I was just a baby.

I remember

almost none of this.

But love remembers

for me.

So I SPEAK loves names.

Ma.

Pop.

Ace.

Robi.

Trish.

Miss Emma.

They spoke me

into myself.

They say Miss Emma cried enough for both of us when we parted.

And if you have never seen

an African sunrise,

look at me.

I was BORN in December,

and I have been rising

since the SUN.

All Hail, Liberia, Hail.