August 2010
34 posts
6 tags
Bina Mwela
Those who’ve known me for awhile
Call me Bina Mwela
Cause I’m a dangerous mix
MuSongye MuLuba
I’m from a city that once, was called Bakwanga
My parents met on a street called Baraka
I come from those who write their stories
On a lukasa
Those who speak Kisongye Swahili Tshiluba
Those who wear long clothes that are made from raffia
Those who start their day with a plate of nshima
Daddy says
I...
5 tags
Grandma
Grandma has no wrinkles
On her magic skin
Tatoos on her belly
She’s a Luba queen
She holds me in her arms
Late at night
When I’m afraid
Lets me sit on her lap
When I need a place
To rest my head
She tells stories from the past
From when she was my age
From when children were dancing and gathering
In our village
She uses words like ‘diulu’ ‘kwanisha’ ‘mwabilayi’
To remind me that we’re from the...
6 tags
Breathe
Breathe again
Feel again
Hear again
After all this mess
Breathe again
Feel again
Heal again
After all this waste
Breathe
Feel
Hear
See
Breathe
Feel
Hear
Be
© Sabrina Moella
3 tags
Bus trip
I was standing on the bus
On my way to Ossington
When this old black woman
Smiled at me
And said
Young girl young girl
Why are you standing like that?
Come and have a seat
You’d better take care of these feet
You’re a tall girl like me
And you’re kinda pretty
But you should take
Better care of your feet
See I’m 70
And what life has taught me
Is to always take care of my feet
So we sat...
3 tags
Strange games
Boys always wanna touch me
In all the bad places
They say they wanna feel me
They say they like my face
They say I should be happy
To be their special friend
But I don’t like their games
It always end the same
Men always wanna touch me
In all the bad places
They say they like my body
They say they like my face
They say don’t tell your ma
Don’t tell your pa
Don’t tell your friends
But I don’t...
2 tags
Words
Words come and wake me up
Impatient
No time to rest
No time for a nap
It’s time to write
Now!
© Sabrina Moella
Longue vie
Longue vie à celle qui
M’a apporté mon équilibre
M’a menée jusqu’à Salvador
M’a fait découvrir ton sourire
M’a montré le pays de l’or
Tu nous as libérés de nos chaînes
Et guidé à travers les âges
Tu as su atténuer nos peines
Aux heures si sombres de l’esclavage
A ton pouvoir nul ne résiste
On t’a dotée de mille attraits
Tu m’as bercée quand j’étais triste
Et enchantée quand j’étais...
3 tags
In-sou-mise
Ma bouche insolente
Ne connaît pas le repos
Ma rage dévorante
Allume, consume, chaque mot
Mes vues dérangeantes
Dressent un drôle de tableau
Noir comme la nuit
Triste à mourir
Joli méli-mélo
Ma bouche insolente
Ne ploie pas sous les coups
Ma rage impuissante
Refuse d’être à genoux
Mes vues dérangeantes
N’ont ni roi ni gourou
Etranges, rebelles, déglinguées avant tout
Ma bouche insolente...
3 tags
Les rêves
Ereintée
La nuit
Mes reins
Déroulent l’horloge
Lourds
Les rêves
Déboulent
Se lovent
Silence
C’est la tombe
Abîmée
Ma vie
A une couleur etrange
Tristes
Les rêves
S’écoulent
Dérangent
Doucement
C’est ma tombe
Illusions, illusions,
Semblables aux vieux démons
Viennent glisser dans ma tête
D’improbables questions
Illusions, illusions,
Sans âme et sans raison
Est-ce ce rêve que je...
3 tags
J.u.s.t.i.c.e
How many of my brothers should be arrested
Handcuffed chased down restrained assaulted
How many of my brothers should be harassed
Beaten up tasered and incarcerated
Always the same sentences and the same repression
Always the same witnesses and the same convictions
Bargains, paroles
Snitches bought for how much
Those we see in the media
Those the media won’t show us
Those caught on tape
...
3 tags
Shhh Shhh...
Shhhh, shhhh…
Listen
Shhhh, shhhhh
…
Some nights
In the dark
When everything is silence and you’ve finished hating me
When everything is quiet and I’m finished begging you
In this endless war of us
…
Shhh shhhhh
Listen
Shhhh shhhh
…
Sometimes
Some nights
…
I sit down…
And my mind…
Flies to this crazy little world of mine
And my thoughts…
Run to this tiny...
3 tags
Water
Water
Water
Ask for a cup of water
I’m thirsty
And naked
And sweating
And dying
Water
Water
Beg for a drop of water
My throat
And neck
And feet
Are burning
I need water
All over my body
Wait
It’s too late
I’m drowning already
© Sabrina Moella
2 tags
Mama said
Mama said
I should be a doctor
But I don’t want to
Teacher said
I should be a teacher
But I don’t want to
Papa said
I should be a lawyer
I don’t know how to
Writing writing
Is the one thing
I should do
© Sabrina Moella
4 tags
The way you said my name
The way you said my name
Had me not sleeping for a week
The sound of your voice is so sweet
It had me
Whistling new melodies
Forgetting my street number
Cooking new recipes
Forgetting my pin number
Doing my hair
Playing with our last names
Undoing my hair
Picking our children’s names
Doing additions subtractions divisions
And more
Keeping asking myself questions
For hours
The way you said my...
3 tags
Our men
Our men don’t look like any other
They have the chests
They have the arms
They have the strength
They have the shine
They have the shoulders
They have the backs
They have the muscles
And the hats
They have those deep voices
They have the smooth haircuts
And their dimples
Those sexy little dimples
Keep dancing on their faces
When they want you to stumble
© Sabrina Moella
Waking up
Waking up
I realized
Boy
I don’t know you
Should remember your name
(But I don’t)
Thought I should ask you
Last night wasn’t that great
No I won’t call you
Woke up with that headache
What the hell did I do ?
Let me remember where I put my pants my shirt my bra my glasses
And let’s get the hell out of here
© Sabrina Moella
3 tags
Blurry angels
I watch you behind your back
When you’re not watching
Wondering what new magic you’re making
I don’t wanna spoil anything
I’m just curious
I don’t wanna say anything
You look serious
We like the same kind of colours
From what I glimpse behind that door
And those blurry angels you’re drawing
Look exactly like
What I had
In mind
© Sabrina Moella
3 tags
Our women
Our women don’t look like any other
They have the skin
They have the hips
They have the curves
They have the lips
They have the charm
They have the eyes
They have those smiles
They have those feet
They have their lives
Tattooed
On their upper shoulder
And their hair
Those gorgeous rebellious hair
Always float on their heads
Like they just don’t care
© Sabrina Moella
4 tags
Tu
Tu as deux petites griffes sur les joues
Et deux petites rides sur le cou
Qui sont
Les marques
De mon
Amour
Tu as les yeux d’un bel enfant
Et le sourire d’un jeune amant
Tu me fais fondre
Mon amour
Tu es doré comme le soleil
Tu m’éblouis, tu m’émerveilles
Tu es un vrai hymne à l’amour
Regarde-moi
Regarde-moi
Regarde-moi
© Sabrina Moella
2 tags
Le mois d’août
Pendant que sur le feu chauffe un plat de foufou
Mets de l’huile dans les cheveux, enfile un beau boubou
A la télé Koffi danse un pas de soukouss
De chez mon soce’ Mehdi monte l’odeur du couscous
Je me sers et sirote un bon verre de bissap
Et regarde la télé en repassant ma sape
Un dernier coup de peigne et il faut prend la route
Puis les lumières s’éteignent, ça sent bon le mois d’août
La...
5 tags
Si l'on m'avait dit
Si l’on m’avait dit mon amour
Qu’au fond, rien n’est sentiment
Que les serments d’un jour
Vivent et s’évanouissent dans l’instant
Si l’on m’avait dit mon amour
Qu’au fond, rien ne dure vraiment
Que plus le cœur est lourd
Plus l’âme s’égare, se méprend
Les belles promesses d’amour
Ne sont que pâles errements
Et nous, connes comme toujours
On plonge la tête devant
Tout cela...
3 tags
We used to...
We used to
Lie in bed lazy until noon or after
Go out way past midnight to buy some groceries
Organize battlefields under the shower
Love each other hate each other love each other again
Whisper silly secrets
Compare the texture of our hair
Rent movies watch movies then fall asleep again
Laugh about everything
Be high on nothing
Make plans over the phone for seven hours straight
We dreamt...
3 tags
Trouble!
Sista started looking at me
With fury in the eyes
And venom in her purse
With fists ready to talk
And fingernails ready too
Trouble !
She thought I was after her man
Oh hell no
So I said
Sista sista
I don’t want your man
Stop looking at me with anger in your eyes
Sista sista
I don’t want your job
Stop looking at me with your arms crossed
Sista sista
I don’t want your life
I have...
5 tags
The Beaches
Today I went down to the beaches
To write
Sand on my feet
Sun in my hair
Listening to the quiet sea
Watching
Girls in bikinis playing some volleyball
Boys in fancy shorts maybe 5’6 feet tall
Everybody smiling wearing their dreams barefoot
I saw a dog swimming stick stuck in one tooth
Sunglasses sunscreen
Mint chocolate ice cream
Young couples giggling old couples kissing
Brother in yellow shirt...
4 tags
Those red pimples
Those red pimples are in love with me
Stalking me everywhere since I was a teen
Showing up uninvited to my sweet 16
First kiss, first break-up
They’ve witnessed everything
Graduations, layoffs
They think we are a team
Oy
Those red pimples are in love with me
They have some cousins on my neck
And some nephews on my back
Some tried to colonize my breast
Sorry I had to turn them...
3 tags
Walk in my shoes...
Walk in my shoes
Walk in my shoes
Walk in my shoes
Again
Walk in my shoes
Walk in my shoes
Walk in my shoes
And then
One time, two times, three times
Feel what I feel
Breathe what I breathe
Dream like I dream
Taste like I taste
Bleed like I bleed
Die like I died
Read what I read
Cry like I cried
Feel my world
Grab my soul
Steal my words
Own my thoughts
Cause
You don’t know me
So...
