Photo credit: Juanca Paulino

I met a man in a foreign land, he seems mysterious,

He looks so handsome, he seems strong:

His smile captivates my eyes, I was shy, yet my smile,

May have brought our friendship to connect,

And everything seems right not wrong:

He began to play various songs, with words unsaid

In his foreign tongue: Oh, how I wished I’d understand,

Still, that did not make me run:

Instead, I embrace each note, each chord as he’d play

Jam down reggae songs: I began to care for this ‘Artical ‘man,

That allow my frame to dance, in his arms like a newborn,

African song: We kissed, laugh, dance, sat in silence,

I felt we were one, then the songs of our heart ended,

I found out it was in my head, carrying me away,

To another land: We said goodbye I was sad,

I knew I was not the one, as tears fell, He walked away,

Took our beautiful notes, our beautiful songs:

And I began to question my worth, existence:

Wasn’t I woman enough, for this—creole man,

Or, maybe he was never man enough for this black woman:

Yet, ‘Ancient truth’ speak in whispers, we were too young,

I will never forget our last song, our last dance;

The chords, the notes, that woe me into his arms,

Oh, it was such a great fairy tale, ‘a beautiful romance!

Empress Journee