Poem - Africa's Plea

At our Wednesday Cafe Church that we hold in Costa Coffee in Frodsham one of our retired clergy rounded up the evening by reading a short poem called Africa's Plea. A murmur of appreciation went around afterwards and I thought I would like to share it with you.

Although written by an African - Roland Tombekai Dempster - it could have been written by any person who feels the injustice of not being accepted for who they are. Here it is:

Africa's Plea

I am not you -
but you will not
give me a chance
will not let me be me

'If I were you' -
but you know
I am not you,
yet you will not
let me be me.

You meddle, interfere
in my affairs
as if they were yours
and you were me.

You are unfair, unwise,
foolish to think
that I can be you,
talk, act
and think like you.

God made me me.
He made you you.
For God's sake
Let me be me.

Perhaps when we look at someone who is different in some way - colour, creed, gender, orientation, nationality, we would do well to remember these words:

God made me me.
He made you you.
For God's sake
Let me be me.