Little Brown Boy

Hannah Singh, Guyana

Little brown boy, with your sun-kissed skin
You've got honey running through your veins
You've got a body moulded by the Gods,
precisely sculpted hands,
Hands that have dedicated their lives to your plans.
Those same hands fought against the oppression
The oppressors are long gone
Their iron-grips and shackles no match for your brown hands,
Strong hands, the ones that carried the weight of your family
The ones that did not rise in surrender to any man.

Little brown boy, with your onyx eyes
Your stare, it holds no fear
You never look away first lest they mistake that for submission
They will never be the reason for your blinks- an exaggeration,
But your head shall never lower whilst amongst them
Your brown skin should shine in all it's glory
And tell to them the story of your ancestors before you
It should tell them about your fighting spirit—
That you will never back down
Never lower your head in the face of adversary
Because little brown boy,
You—child—are royalty.

Hannah is an Indo-Guyanese writer based in Guyana. At 20 years old, she attends the University of Guyana where she is currently pursuing a degree in English. Her interests include music, writing, and fantasy novels.