Poem by San Francisco-based Blasian Hapa Poet Sabrena Taylor: Hair 2
San Francisco Bay Area poet Sabrena Taylor, is of African-American, Japanese cultural background, with Native American roots as well. Her poems traverse historical, political, mythological memory, addressing longing, social justice and healing:
HAIR 2
(for Teresa Kay Williams Leon)
Our mothers tried their best to change our image
To press our hair
To relax our hair
As if hair was nervous
Hair would shout
too
LOUD
My mother’s tongue I tried to cut with the knife of the tongue of
Children who didn’t understand my fair skin, my dark skin
Father’s tongue
Moon eyes
My hair cried
The one little curl society could not press and repress
My image refused to be oppressed
That one little curl stood out, shouted
too
LOUD
Made waves and for that one little curl I give my deepest
Appreciation
For I am alive today as I will be alive tomorrow
Making waves of peace, love and justice
copyright 1994 Sabrena Taylor
Posted in: African-American, Afro-Asian, Afro-Japanese, Amerasian アメラジアン, こんけつじ, Black Japanese, Blackanese, Blasian, Hapa, Japan, Japanese, Mixed Race, multiracial, Occupation of Japan 日本占領, Photograph, Poetry, Postwar Japan, Sabrena Taylor, Shōwa era, transpacific racism, women, 占領, 合の子, 昭和時代, 混血児
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