Flower Crown
By Ngala Lavynne
I watched her crack the mirage
She thought for so long was a mirror
Raining holy hail
Her vision so much clearer
She would no longer cross oceans
For cichlid who reduced hers to rivers
Not when she understood
Her mines and mountains
Were destined for so much bigger.
She would no longer take instruction
From men who know nothing of construction
Who watch her bleed over
For a handful of diamonds
She was never the knockoff; she was the blueprint.
The black, bold, and underlined reduced to a fine print.
When you see her,
Ensure you bow down.
Don’t dare look her in the eye but
Acknowledge her purple gown
Not just the gold dripping down her neck
But the lead she had to learn to lay down
And the pilgrimage it took
To wear her plaited thorns
As a flower crown
Ngala Lavynne’s poem came in highly commended at the Arise Africa Writing Contest.
About the Author: Besides running her own blog, Stormy Weather, which focuses on discussions about teenage experiences in a comical yet tell-it-how-it-is tone, Lavynne enjoys writing thought-provoking essays almost as much as she loves to read. This being her first of many works to come in poetry, she has a keen focus on using her voice to emphasize the importance of shedding light on “taboo” topics involving the youth, especially in these changing times.
