women

I Am Me, African!

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I am caucasian but in the eyes of many, “you are white”, they say …

Silently I tread, smiling I march.

I cannot point fingers at anyone, so I sit still because let’s face, it takes a special deftness to be or feel something that you are not. How can you convey a state of being to someone?

As human beings, we act and behave differently. We are not the same. We don’t have the same DNA. We are individuals.

Perception does not always denote being, so I smile. They don’t get it. So, I keep going. And when my African roots unintentionally manifests itself, verbally or through dancing, many react and do a double take, as it unhurriedly becomes apparent to them… yet bewildered and bashful, in a quite whisper they ask, “are you white?” Grinning, I move on.

I know who I am. Half of me belongs to the world and the other half, to me. I am me. I am my own creation, a blend of color, life and dreams. I am white. I am african. I am million other things the word cannot define. I am the “whisper” that defines us. I am the hip-vibrating hips when I hear the drums playing. I am the spice I grew up eating. I am the color of my flags. I am a person. I am me.

Happy African Women’s Day my beautiful country women. You are every race and hearts in this one continent of ours, Africa.

—– //—-

P.S. My niece Marta wrote this beautiful piece in portuguese, she speaks and writes perfect english, on her Facebook page in observance of African Women’s Day today, I love it so much that I decided to translate it and share it with you.

The Picture I Have Of Women

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The picture I have of women, is undoubtedly what I learned from my Mother, her legacy. She once told me that every smile of independence and rights in a woman’s face, was one less tear in her eyes. Today, I would rather just tell her that I finally get it! Smiles like these can take more than a day or a month. It will at least take my whole existence! _ Raul Jorge Neto

Happy International Women’s Day!

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20131116_175548Who is she?

She is my sister, my mother, my friend
my body and my homie!
She is my true blood
my main squeeze.

She is the one who knows,
the one who understands, well…
at least she pretends
for a day, an hour, minute and second
for weeks gone down.

With a full force of a speeding train,
a hurricane
she marches in with a vengeance
at whatever and whenever,
and stays in
even if not invited.

She is your good friend
a sincere agent
day and night
without a price.

She does not judge but
listens intensively
and does not blame
just praises.

She does not interrupt but
is always there, ready for the next round.
She does not instruct and never hangs up – the
phone, there is.
She always remembers
your address
your birthday
your celebrations.
She always stays in touch
is the first to arrive
the last to leave
always there!

She is my sister, my mother, my friend
my partner, my cousin, my aunt, my grandma;
she is my body, my homie, my sista
she is my true blood and
true self!
She is a woman and a friend!

©Angela Aguiar