Stolen Jewels
by Kathryn Waddell Takara
Who stole the jewels from Africa?
They missed the essence of what they took.
Chasms of misunderstanding and misinterpretation.
For in Africa
Sharing was like sunlight
Abundant as sky is blue.
Gold was for beauty and celebration of
The people,
Adorning anyone’s body.
Rubies and pearl-dust of Brotherhood,
Sapphire skies,
Amethyst halos of Consciousness,
Emerald clusters of Community,
Abundant in ebony and copper
Drum Rhythms.
Presence in opal harmony
Like planets to sun.
Who stole the jewels from Africa?
They missed the essence of what they took.
There were no banks
No uniformed law and order
Of separate we’s and they’s.
And those who introduced
And perpetuated we-they,
Abounded like hail-stones
Collected stolen jewels for elite and noble
Kings and queens
Popes and churches
Of “Civilized” lands
In imagined devotion to those who sat
Pretentiously
Puppets of pride
On paper-maché thrones.
Who stole the jewels from Africa?
They missed the essence of what they took.
Who stole the jewels from the people?
And gave in mirages of generosity
Imitation jewels,
Turned holy expectation of honesty
Into dingy imagination
And gaudy hopes of betrayed receivers watched
As drabness settled in
Like drearsome fog.
Who?
Did you say who it was?
That with graceless wishes from lecherous fantasy
Who it was that turned purity of being
Into ego safety deposit boxes
Of threatened, stolen jewels?
Who stole the jewels from Africa?
Whoever it was,
You missed the point.
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