Haitian Flag Day - May 18th

Some of us prefer
To call our native tongue creole
Some of us don't like being called food
So we say, patwa--
Not you
To give respect to the African

Some of us are learning
To say kreyol with a 'K'
Not because it looks better
But because it's essential that we love ourselves

Some of us keep our hair low
Some of us still wear fros
Some of us got alienated for having locks
And some of us still remember ti-tid

Some of us still tryina be White
Some of us settle for Spanish
Some of us glad to be Black
Some of us glad to be back

Some of us climb through cracks
Some of us still putting up defenses

Some of us come off way too stong
Some of us still in hiding


And some of us can catch bullets with our bare hands!

From my first book of poetry, The Dredlocks Tree coming at ya this summer!