I Give You Thanks My God by Bernard Dadie

 

I give you thanks my God for having created me black 

For having made of me 

The total of all sorrows, 

and set upon my head 

5 the World. 

I wear the livery of the Centaur 

And I carry the World since the first morning. 

White is a colour improvised for an occasion 

Black, the colour of all days 

10 And I carry the World since the first night. 

I am happy 

with the shape of my head 

fashioned to carry the World, 

satisfied with the shape of my nose, 

15 Which should breathe all the air of the World, 

happy 

with the form of my legs 

prepared to run through all the stages of the World. 

I give you thanks my God, for having created me black, 

20 for having made of me 

the total of all sorrows. 

Thirty-six swords have pierced my heart. 

Thirty-six brands have burned my body, 

And my blood on all the calvaries has reddened the snow 

25 And my blood from all the east has reddened nature. 

And yet I am 

Happy to carry the World, 

Content with my short arms, 

with my long legs, 

30 with the thickness of my lips. 

I give you thanks my God, for having created me black, 

White is a colour for an occasion, 

Black the colour of all days 

And I carry the World since the morning of time. 

35 And my laughter in the night brought forth day over 

the World. 

I give you thanks my God for having created me black.

THE END

    I adored the way this poem was written and the gratitude the character/writer felt for himself. They aren't mad for having black skin or having curly hair. They are unconcerned with their large lips, short limbs, legs, or nose form. There will never be any complaints about it; instead, you will hear how grateful they are that they were made that way. They are an excellent example of how people should value themselves because no one is perfect. They never blamed God for what they had gone through but instead were grateful since it taught them valuable lessons and shaped them into the people they are today.

    Some individuals always grumble that they never discovered why things happen the way they do. Even if they are more or less like that, some of their characteristics will astound us. True, African Americans have darker skin tone, curly hair, a broad nose, and small limbs and legs, but they were endowed with the gift of voices, and they have pouty lips that all females desire, primarily because of their body's curves and boobs. Even amid their trials and pains, they remain appreciative. Others will endure surgery merely to get it, indicating that they do not value what God has given them. 

    It encourages me to value and accept my individuality. It shows me that we may live a happy life if we stop comparing ourselves to others. All we have to do now is take care of ourselves. Who would care about them in the first place? Did they feed us? As a result, it is also a crucial lesson to remember that what we say has the potential to induce unhappiness in others.

Sources:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZmhHs9U8ag&ab_channel=KevinDaveNapone
• https://afrilingual.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/65/