Poems - Part Four

“What I Wasn’t Taught in School” by Samuel King

When that light switched. You taught us it was Thomas Edison who made that happen. When ironically it was actually a darker man who made that light flick, Lewis Latimer to be precise. Quite nice when you’re talking about Mr. Hamilton and his racing car – but red light, stop. We’re always taught that Martin Luther King had a dream man but those dreams can’t be achieved because our brains are in chains, our minds are enslaved so we won’t get our redemption, Morgan Freeman. Will we ever be free man? And leave this state of imprisonment and take that walk of free-damn. It, green man from a traffic light invented by the same man who made gas masks to protect our organs. Another free man, named Garrett Morgan. But I bet you never knew that. We need to open our minds but how can we be taught to see if the blind lead the blind? The first person to develop significant eye surgery was a black woman named Dr. Patricia E Bath. Now on that note there’s a question I must ask. If this is a great opportunity to learn and be engaged about our past, why are we not actually being taught about our past? Transatlantic slavery where we’re taught black history starts but is it really? There seems to be a lot you haven’t told us, and you shut down and hold back on the bold ones who stand against the way you’re trying to mould us. Consistent enemies of progress, you’re surprised because I know things you don’t expect me to know yet. And when I tell you you’re wrong for telling me about me, you call it a riot while I call it a protest. The Broadwater Farm riots, the media exacerbate and make it seem like it’s a bunch of delinquent youths on the streets. When really the first causing trigger was death at the hands of the police. We cease to know information and the truth, and that’s simply because you withhold information from the youth. Maybe, maybe one day we’ll be satisfied with how our knowledge of history equates. Well I’m sure like me, you’re waiting for the teacher to fill in that space. So do so then…. Umm….no answer. Well maybe I can help and just throw out there some names. Mary Seacole, a Crimean war nurse. Mary Prince a black female author, to be precise she was the first. Bernie Grant, influential local activist and respected MP. Trevor McDonald, one of the first black ITN journalists to hit the TV screen. Jamal Edwards and SBTV. And when Fuse ODG took the Azonto dance to the UK and my foot swayed to the left and to the right like the wipers of a car’s windscreen. And DJ Abrantee brought Afrobeats to the streets. See it’s funny when we think of our childhood memories. A man who was actually funny, Lenny Henry. Many others and the list continues… Marcus Garvey, Haile Selassie, Bob Marley, Ignatius Sancho, Tupac, Fela Kuti, Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou R.I.P Kwame Nkrumah the first Ghanaian president who retained independence from England. The Windrush ship which brought Caribbeans to Britain. So much to learn in just one month, a tip of the iceberg, a tiny grace. And what was the first black Roman Emperor’s name? Years passed and we’re still caught up in the same Civil Rights age. Which isn’t bad if you learn something new. But we don’t. And we’re not being taught enough about our culture so there’s no one else to blame but you, and if not you then who? Questions, questions, questions. If you’re not teaching us these things then I’m inclined to believe it’s because you don’t – know. No. You’re the teacher, your job is to teach so you must know, and if you do that must mean you don’t want us to know – but that’s low. If the information is accessible for our knowledge of our culture to grow, then why on earth wouldn’t you want to let us know? Why are you focused so heavily on the influential but very few men and women who made things happen for us? Why are my people being highlighted for a predominantly negative past? Why do I know the things that you don’t, and I’m not the teacher, you are? Why are you focused on our negative past but not on our bright future? Why are you not abreast with the great young things that people are doing in this world? Why are young people’s trademarks and stereotypes; gang culture and young pregnant girls? Why are the young people not being given the time of day? And his name was Septimius Severus by the way. I’m sure as a student, the code of conduct has been breached. So I’ll stop here and let you do your job. So teach.

“Can U Smile?” by Infinite

아주 오래 전 너를 보았던

그 느낌을 기억해 난

너를 알았던 나를 알았던

그 시절이 생각나

너를 닮고 싶던 어울리고 싶던

간절했던 시간을

난 다시 생각해

다 지나간 한낱 추억 뿐인걸

And, can you smile?

니가 원하잖아 니가 바라잖아

내 맘 만으로는

널 잡을 수가 없는가봐

And, Can you smile?

내가 가라잖아 난 괜찮다잖아

마지막 너에게

난 이것 밖엔 못 주나봐

이미 오래 전 내가 받았던

니 마음을 기억해 난

내겐 넘치던 니가 고맙던

그 시절이 생각나

가장 사랑할 때 가장 행복할 때

이별을 마주했어

내겐 참 넘쳐서

미안해서 잡아둘 순 없는걸

그래 빈번해진 니 그 말 답답했어 변해진

내 말투와 행동이

할말 없게 만든다고 화만 나게 돋군다고

쏘아대며 격해진

밤 하늘에 별이 밝혀줬지

달이 비춰줬지 항시 갈 길 갔지

별들과 밤이 온다

다른 별에 가려질 뿐

the moon always stay there

I’ll always be here for you want you

And, can you smile?

널 잡고 싶지만 붙잡고 싶지만

내 곁에 있어서

넌 웃음을 잃어가잖아

And, can you smile?

내가 가라잖아 난 괜찮다잖아

내 곁을 떠나야

넌 행복할 수 있으니까

“Embrace the World with You” by Kris Wu

(Paiwan language): I u giugi senasena i

張開你的雙手 讓我擁抱你

盡情享受遠方 溫暖的友誼

圍著圈圈跳舞 拉近了距離

讓我們都看見 善良與美麗

你是永恆太陽 高掛天際

滿腔熱情藏在 深邃眼睛裡

像自由鳥兒 帶著勇氣

翱翔藍天綠地

感受彼此氣息 相聚在一起

我沸騰的血液 也跟著旋律

拉近你我距離 不要再猶豫

大聲告訴世界 你來自哪裡

你是永恆太陽 高掛天際

滿腔熱情藏在 深邃眼睛裡

像自由鳥兒 帶著勇氣

翱翔藍天綠地

“Ghen Cô Vy” by Min

Dạo gần đây, có một virus rất hot
Tên của em ấy Corona
Em từ đâu? Quê của em ở Vũ Hán
Đang bình yên bỗng chợt thoát ra

Chắc chắn ta nên đề cao cảnh giác
Đừng để em ấy phát tán
Chắc chắn ta nên quyết tâm tự giác
Để dịch bệnh không bùng cháy lên

Cùng rửa tay xoa xoa xoa xoa đều
Đừng cho tay lên mắt mũi miệng
Và hạn chế đi ra nơi đông người
Đẩy lùi virus Corona, Corona
Luôn nâng cao sức khỏe
Và vệ sinh không gian xung quanh mình
Cùng nâng cao ý thức của xã hội
Đẩy lùi virus Corona, Corona

Co-co-corona, Corona
Co-co-corona, Corona

Tuy nhỏ bé, nhưng mà em rất tàn ác
Bao người phải chết vì chính em
Tuy rằng khó, nhưng toàn dân đang cố gắng
Không để em tiếp tục lớn thêm

Từng y bác sĩ luôn luôn hết lòng (yeah hey)
Từng người công nhân hay dân văn phòng (oh, no)
Người dân nơi đâu cũng luôn sẵn lòng (oh)
Việt Nam ta quyết thắng bệnh dịch, thắng bệnh dịch
Hôm nay ta sẵn sàng (hôm nay ta sẵn sàng)
Thì ngày mai ta luôn luôn vững vàng
(Thì ngày mai ta luôn vững vàng, yeah)
Dù gian nan nhưng con tim không màng
Việt Nam ta quyết thắng bệnh dịch, thắng bệnh dịch