{"id":520,"date":"2022-12-23T03:57:24","date_gmt":"2022-12-23T10:57:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/respectmagazine\/?p=520"},"modified":"2022-12-23T04:03:24","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T11:03:24","slug":"idowus-poem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/respectmagazine\/2022\/12\/23\/idowus-poem\/","title":{"rendered":"Idowu’s Poem"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Dark-Skinned Damsel.<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n

\"\"1930<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n

Born black, beautiful with beady black eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Broad nose, curly black hair, wide smile, white teeth.<\/span><\/p>\n

She was dark-skinned.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Her skin-<\/span><\/p>\n

the colour of running, yummy chocolate-<\/span><\/p>\n

was betrothed to the Sun.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Her physique-<\/span><\/p>\n

resplendent in all attires<\/span><\/p>\n

as though she was carved,<\/span><\/p>\n

every intricate detail of her.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She dared not shrink<\/span><\/p>\n

for her stature would betray her.<\/span><\/p>\n

She dared not cower<\/span><\/p>\n

for her aura exuded valor.<\/span><\/p>\n

But what she did dare<\/span><\/p>\n

which she ought not to have,<\/span><\/p>\n

was to dare disdain her dark skin.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2030<\/span><\/strong>: Now<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

she is old<\/span><\/p>\n

with a granddaughter of her own.<\/span><\/p>\n

She whispers to her<\/span><\/p>\n

every now and then:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are beautiful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She marvels<\/span><\/p>\n

that beauty is no longer a cult-<\/span><\/p>\n

with a fixed complexion,<\/span><\/p>\n

hair texture or curvature.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Beauty resides in every contour<\/span><\/p>\n

of the human flesh; beauty<\/span><\/p>\n

makes its home in the<\/span><\/p>\n

nest of kind souls. Beauty<\/span><\/p>\n

is no longer a face,<\/span><\/p>\n

a look, or complexion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beauty is you and I<\/span><\/p>\n

in our splendour.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now, her granddaughter<\/span><\/p>\n

will live<\/span><\/p>\n

as she was made to live-<\/span><\/p>\n

as a beautiful dark-skinned damsel<\/span><\/p>\n

born black<\/span><\/p>\n

as strong as the obsidian rock.<\/span><\/p>\n

– Ayanfe Idowu<\/h5>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Dark-Skinned Damsel. 1930: Born black, beautiful with beady black eyes. Broad nose, curly black hair, wide smile, white teeth. She was dark-skinned.   Her skin- the colour of running, yummy chocolate- was betrothed to the Sun.   Her physique- resplendent in all attires as though she was carved, every intricate detail of her.   … <\/p>\n

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