Patrice Juah – Tell Your Story

Patrice Juah – MIR Student & Kistefos Young Talented Scholars. IE School of Global and Public Affairs.

Reading:

Tell Your Story by Patrice Juah,  from book Under Ducor Skies, 2018.

Tell your story,
The old ones.
The new ones.
The recycled ones.
The forgotten ones.
The ignored ones.

Stories from yesterday
Hidden between the pages,
Of life’s hustle and toil;
Stories from yesteryears,
Buried under rocks and concrete floors.

Tell your story.
The sad ones.
The treasured ones.
The painful ones.
The liberating ones.

Stories of voices too caged to speak,
Stories of generations
On whose shoulders you stand.

Tell your story.
The heart-wrenching ones.
The lung-dancing ones.
The mind-boggling ones.
The hip-swinging ones.

Stories of triumph washed on distant shores,
Stories of warriors,
Who conquered kingdoms and thrones.

Tell your story.
Part your lips and let them speak.
Wink your eyes and let them blink.
Unearthed your voice and let it ring.

Tell your story,
In high melodies and low symphonies,
Through walks and dance,
Through anguish and grief,
Through laughter and cries,
On mountains high and valleys low.

Tell it loudly.
Tell it slowly.
Tell it softly.
Tell it with voice shaking.
Trembling. Shouting.

But tell it.

Stories of Djor River
Stories of Kpatawee.
You own it.
You worked for it.
You sacrificed for it.

So tell it.

Tell it proudly.
Tell it majestically.
Tell it while standing tall.
Tell it while bowing low.

But tell it.

Tell it. Tell it. Tell it.
Because, my darling,
Who will tell it, if you don’t ?