Native Child – Binti/Daughter [Video]

By Button Poetry

A Semi-Finalist from the 2020 Button Poetry video contest.
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About Button:

Button Poetry is committed to developing a coherent and effective system of production, distribution, promotion and fundraising for spoken word and performance poetry.

We seek to showcase the power and diversity of voices in our community. By encouraging and broadcasting the best and brightest performance poets of today, we hope to broaden poetry’s audience, to expand its reach and develop a greater level of cultural appreciation for the art form.

Transcript provided by YouTube (unedited)

0:02
mama just
0:03
loves her baby girl baby girl
0:07
her mama doesn’t love mama just love
0:11
her baby girl baby girl
0:17
i was wondering what i tell you
0:21
the day you become a woman the day you
0:25
no longer need me to tie these pink
0:28
ribbons
0:29
in your hair on that day
0:33
i will transform
0:36
from the 50-foot tall warrior who slays
0:39
monsters under your bed and pours
0:41
paradise
0:42
into every meal into this woman that i
0:44
am and so i wrote this letter
0:48
for you dear
0:51
future warriors
0:54
yes god was generous the day he blessed
0:59
me with you
1:01
it took nine months to perfect bliss and
1:03
i know there’s so much to learn so i
1:06
offer you
1:07
this
1:10
on your body let every bend and twist
1:14
inspire the world like all that fee
1:17
recognize
1:18
respect and deserve your deeply feminine
1:21
curves
1:23
i know it’s a hard lesson to learn but
1:26
remember this
1:28
what’s in between your hips is just as
1:31
important as what’s in between
1:33
your lips
1:37
own your anger never feel what’s left
1:40
for you were born with a warrior’s soul
1:44
with strength as your shield knowledge
1:47
as your sword even good girls have to
1:49
fight the revolution
1:50
even good girls have to fight for
1:53
evolution and know your life may not be
1:55
televised but you will still
1:57
shine like stars in my eyes
2:00
[Music]
2:03
on your words choose them carefully one
2:06
by one like others for a woman is only
2:10
as good as the word she stands on and
2:12
words are
2:13
only as good as the foundation they are
2:16
built upon you see i know
2:18
it’s hard being born
2:22
to a fatherless room conceived in this
2:26
fatherless
2:27
womb a baby baby
2:31
don’t make it your tune you see i can’t
2:34
teach you to be a woman like me
2:36
because i am only half the woman
2:40
you will ever be
2:42
[Music]
2:44
and i can’t teach you how to be a
2:45
success because my success
2:48
was realized the first day you took
2:51
breath
2:52
but i can teach you how to love a poet’s
2:55
lover a dreamer’s love a love
2:57
that knows the where the wind the why to
3:00
compromise
3:00
i can teach you how to love the moon and
3:04
[Music]
3:11
[Applause]
3:12
[Music]
3:15
write your own stories tell your own
3:18
truths
3:20
and one day you’ll have your own stories
3:22
to share but for now for
3:24
right now i just want to hold you close
3:30
and tie these pink ribbons in your hair
3:49
you

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This post was previously published on YouTube.

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