Bring me back

Young black women in a white dress on the beach

By Philia Yatchou

Bring me back
To my mother’s womb so I can understand the struggle of pushing love out
while it’s just trying to breathe, take in some air
Let me learn how to spell that love, to make it naked so I see its insides
To embrace the waves of its fluent dance and the hidden faces of its softness

Bring me back so I could feel the safety of my mother’s arms again
Caging me with blooming arms, therefore making me more and more fragile

Bring me back so I can hear our heroes stories whispered in my sleep
So I could feel the wind on my face while my face is pushed against the fertile soil

Bring me back to my ancestral path so I can smell the air of slavery
Bring me back so I would have a chance to learn my tradition
Allow me to see my village and everything that was kept from me

Bring me back so I get a chance at life again
So, I fight harder for my being

Bring me back so I find a source of consolation
So, I sleep at night knowing my purpose is being made

Let me redo it all

Just so I can see if I turn out the same

If I still deserve the name of my Grandmother
If I still deserve her wounds
If I still learn from them
Becoming, while my pace is accelerating
Something bigger
Someone stronger

Philia Yatchou

Writer

Philia Sephora Yatchou is a strong, golden black woman. Born in Cameroon and brought to Canada at a young age, she has blossomed thanks to a close-knit family and a critical eye on the world. Filled with big dreams for women around the world, writing is a way for her to express them. Passionate about jazz music, fashion and art in all its forms, she spends most of her time dreaming of a more egalitarian world. She is currently studying law and political communication at the Université de Montréal. Her motto is "Still I Rise", taken from Maya Angelou's poem of the same name.