You have a child whom you’ve been bathing in a basin. Beautiful child. Imperfect child. Wise child. Flawed child. Human(e) child. Made you tear, made you cheer. Made you smile, made you despair. Defined you, made you who you are. Again, wise child- who taught you, among other profoundly sensible things, that: when a child defecates on your leg, you do not cut it off- you wash it. That you do not -should never!- throw a human being away.
Oh, how you love this child.
Then one day as you were bathing your child, some creature intruded and rather violently, rather inhumanly, picked up the basin and emptied it’s contents; pouring the bathwater out, and throwing your baby away.
You could not tell-and you wondered- what kind of creature this one was. Granted, it had everything in common with you as far as body parts-and where they’re placed- are concerned. But what is this skin that looks like that of a lobsters’? What is this hair that looks like corn silk? And this nose that looks like a birds beak? What are these eye colours that look nothing like yours?
What, really, is this creature? A human being? A plant? An animal? Or all of that rolled up into one body and soul of violence?
Anyway, this invading creature gave you a new, different basin and with it, a child version of itself and then -manipulatively, coercively, forcibly- asked you to bathe it- it’s child. You did. And all the while, your own child lay there; bruised, thirsty, starving.
Eventually, the creature leaves (Is made to leave, really), leaving it’s child behind. What do you do? Do you neglect and forget this child of yours who once taught you that it is never taboo to return and get it? Do you continue to bathe the intruding creatures’ child and leave your own there where it was thrown, to die?
This is an interesting essay by Hamza Moshood. I can see many interpretations. One stands out. What we have done with what has been dear to us as a people. What we have done to our culture, our sense of dignity, our pride and of course, what we’ve done and continue to do to our children.
Let us bathe our children dearly once again. They deserve our attention, our care, and our undivided love. What a beautiful piece!
Lovely piece Hamza.