A New Story
Meng Qiu
When I was a child, my father told me
‘Don’t play with him who has lighter skin than you’
‘Because you will be laughed at’
When you were a child, your mother taught you
‘Don’t make friends with her who has darker skin’
‘She will end up hitting on you’
When I grew up, my father urged me
‘Not to challenge him with lighter skin’
‘Because I’ll be serving him and get abused’
And when you grew up, you were told
‘Not to argue with her who has darker skin’
‘You will always be wrong and hated for it’
When I fell in love my parents taught me
‘Don’t love him who has lighter skin than you’
‘Because even if you love him you will be abused’
When you fell in love you were taught
Not to love her who has darker skin
‘Because even though your love will be true, hers won’t be’
It was an old story between my father and me,
Likewise one between your mother and you
And despite all the odds we decided to open a blank book
To write a completely new story for our children and us.
‘Don’t play with him who has lighter skin than you’
‘Because you will be laughed at’
When you were a child, your mother taught you
‘Don’t make friends with her who has darker skin’
‘She will end up hitting on you’
When I grew up, my father urged me
‘Not to challenge him with lighter skin’
‘Because I’ll be serving him and get abused’
And when you grew up, you were told
‘Not to argue with her who has darker skin’
‘You will always be wrong and hated for it’
When I fell in love my parents taught me
‘Don’t love him who has lighter skin than you’
‘Because even if you love him you will be abused’
When you fell in love you were taught
Not to love her who has darker skin
‘Because even though your love will be true, hers won’t be’
It was an old story between my father and me,
Likewise one between your mother and you
And despite all the odds we decided to open a blank book
To write a completely new story for our children and us.
Meng Qiu loves writing as well as painting and clay modelling. Her poetry often tells stories from artistic perspectives, where she explores inner feelings especially of individuals in a certain situation related to childhood scenes. She believes art can help us cope with stress and improve individual and community wellbeing.
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