Red Head

You ask me why I choose to look how I look
Then bring me shame at my own game
Making me believe that I was cursed and glad to the thought that you drive me insane
Terrifying and shaking my picture out of its frame
You are so lame! Don’t you have any shame?
Really who else is to blame?
When words sharper than swords disconnect my link of hope
But yes! The walls have fallen
And this is solemn
Yeah for the red heads

Let us pretend that I really cared what you think or say
About what I do, how I do it and what I don’t
That really I didn’t give you an itch each time I was present
What if I was just like you?
Would the sun feel better on my face?
Or would the wind feel better on my skins surface?
It is really funny how you are keen to lace, underneath
Invade my space and stick to my case
Isn’t there anything else in the world to chase?
What is she wearing?
Where is she from?
Are those bones sticking out?
Skinny bitch she doesn’t eat right!
Look at how she walks!
You pose like a king cobra in its place
Your tongue out to taste
Puffing your ferns after the chase
Striking and wishing that you whip my confidence at every curve
I wonder how you have the nerve
Thank God
Because the walls have fallen
And this is solemn
And I say yeah for the red heads

Let us say that in my reality really I have broken wings
I cannot fly for now I would think
Hold my head up high and limp through every step
You stand around with a smile on your face
My confidence you rape
As my hope is slowly robbed and the damage you cause plays on the tape
I keep on telling myself, sticks and stones, sticks and stones
Then I remember a song about people like you
Ninaona gere ninaona gere ninaona gere… lelele
Then I remember that the walls have fallen
And this is solemn
I say yeah for the red heads

Red heads!
People you frame out of your small kit
Whose noses are like this and legs like that
Who walk like this and laugh like that
People like
Caster Semenya
You laughed, tagged on facebook in emails, pointing out at red head
For days, weeks, months to a year
Let a sister be! You want an apology for her life!
People like Sammy
Whom you lied to that you were gay too
Took him home for a night of “pleasure” then beat him up
Let a brother be! Now you want an apology for him living his life!
People like Esther
Whose story and decisions became your entertainment game
Let a sister be! You want an apology for her decisions?
People like me
Who do not want to fit in your small kit
People you lock out from your “perfect” world
Sorry to tell you that
The walls have fallen
And that is solemn
I say yeah for the red heads

Yes I am a red head and I do not care
People like me drown the world face down
We have our own swag so don’t nag
We are travelers not tourists
We are strengths not downfalls
We try this and that and are willing to face the consequences
We dress, move, talk, touch, sing, swing, yell as we want
Being true every bit to ourselves!
Forever red heads
Yes, the walls have fallen
And this is solemn
Hell yeah, for the red heads



© Namatsi Lukoye