Tuesday, March 10, 2009

What can I teach my kids about being Black?


What can I teach you about being Black?
Not much,
Because I'm not.
But a I can teach you about pain,
And how to forgive peoples foolish words.
I can show you how to endure suffering,
So that through it Truth will be proclaimed.
I can love you and cry with you,
I can be the she-bear when you are threatened.
We can live where there is a rainbow of people,
and we can learn to love them together.
We can seek out the truth of history,
And not be afraid of the ugliness.
I can open your heart and your eyes
To the painful reality that comes
clinging to the back of sin.

And in the end,
I can release you into your destiny,
And wait for you to come home,
With a fuller understanding of who you are
and what you are to be in your life.
Then I can listen as you teach me,
What it means to be Black.

(Note: I posted this 11/07 but most of you were not around back then to share it with. :)

16 comments:

stephanie garcia said...

This is beautifully and thoughtfully written ... thank you for sharing.

Julie said...

Just when I thought I found my favorite blog entry (yours from yesterday), now you add this one. I love this. I love this. I love this. Thanks!

Julie said...

I just had to quote it on my log..hope you don't mind..
Love, Julie

dorothy said...

Link away friends - our goal is to encourage and educate!
d :)

sarah bess said...

This is an absolutely amazing poem.

I was looking for a 'poetry' tab so I could read more of yours. If you have a collection, would you share?

Rebecca said...

Hi,
I just found your blog through a mention of your laundry system over on simplemom. I am so delighted to have discovered your blog and I look forward to reading more. This poem is wonderful. I am the Mama to four children through international adoption so it spoke volumes to me.
With Joy!
Rebecca
www.ourhappysong.blogspot.com
www.weavingfamilies.com/blog

Tooj said...

Hi, I was given this specific link by a blogland friend of mine. I am so grateful that she thought of me when she came across your blog. Your journey looks amazing, and I plan on coming back for me. I am encouraged to have found someone who wants to use her good and her blog to encourage and educate. I know that I am a first time visitor, but I already feel as if I can thank you for being you.

Tooj said...

Hi, I was given this specific link to this poem by a blogland friend of mine. I am grateful that she thought of me as she came across your blog. I am excited to have found someone who wants to use their good and their blog to encourage and educate. I know I am only a first time visitor, but I already feel like I should thank you. I'll definitely be back to read more....future posts as well as old ones. Your family picture is beautiful.

Joy said...

I honestly don't remember how I found your blog, but this post moved me to tears. I am a newly wed pastor's wife who has always wanted to adopt from within the US, and will be waiting anxiously for your updates!

Molly said...

Can I share this poem on my blog? I did a recent post on transracial adoption and how I can help my kids through their journey. This poem spoke volumes to me and I would love to share it!

Your family is beautiful and I cannot believe that you have a picture of all 10 kids looking the same direction and smiling! That's a miracle in itself!

I look forward to watching your blog! Let me know if that's okay to share the poem and your blog!

dorothy said...

Go for it Molly! My goal is to share and encourage others through the little pieces of this journey that are mine.

Dani said...

First time reader here, found you by way of other bloggers due to this post. Thank you so much for sharing this powerful poem. It really speaks to me as the White mother of three young children of color! I posted and linked to you on my blog.

Grateful for Grace said...

Beautiful.

"MissMelissa" said...

wonderful words. love it.

thank you for sharing.

melissa

jen said...

Just found this through Owlhaven - so powerful! Thank you for sharing - again!

My3Monkeys said...

Thank you so much for this. I hope you don't mind, but I had to repost it on our blog.