Things People Say

My boyfriend is a Zimbabwean, so he definitely influenced this poem.

I found out about this woman who is marrying some African dude. During the wedding, she has to walk to the river, put a weird tribal bucket with pictures of naked women on it on her head, fill the bucket with river water,  and walk back up to the wedding. We are not here for some pre-modern day ritual that existed before Britain bettered the land. We are here to show exactly what white-dress wearing brides do before their marriage to continue the fact that they would like dam barriers around them in the face of outside influence trying to pour through the cracks of nationalism.

There are so many things to take into consideration, like the miles of water between my family and theirs.  If I date people like them, everyone will ask me,  "Are you sure they're not just with you for a green card?"

 

I know it's too complicated to know for sure so I'll tighten the rope, make it strangle the living flow of homeland out of them and throw it in the face of a new-age colonization of change; change for oneness. Oneness of sameness. This is the way I expect you to love me, because I know that the only way to know you do through the missteps, the miscommunication, and the differences is to form you into the common, statistical evidence that people tend to be with those who are like them.  This is the way I am; this is the way you should be.

We won't forget that each culture has different ways of doing things, but we will forget that each culture has its own justification for doing things.  They move into our land, and because of that, we will try to coerce them into being a true "American," thinking they have no reason to keep themselves.

 

Reviews

[h d e rushin]

In America, I guess, there exists this chasm between what we think of as normality and cross-
culturati, seeing that our African brothers seem (in my opinion) to be intensely interested in
cultural affairs. And there is little sympathy nor flexibility in their curvilinear approach to
dating an American woman. My Bengali girlfriend is forbad to date an American by her
over restrictive parents. But I can't be more clear about one thing. "BEING AN AMERICAN
MEANS THE ADOPTING OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES". Does culture play a part in good relationships,
I'm sure, but having a plate of chicken sprinkled with curry powder is different than
having a woman (or man) you can't love unconditionally.

Tiana, these aren't just the things people say, they are the things this person says.
My truth, whenever it is challenged, comes raging to the surface. "Each culture has
its own justification for doing things". This I am sure.

I love this writing style....More conversational than measured by poetic construct.
it was written as if you wanted someone to reply......I did, but be forewarned,

I'm a crazy person.....dana