I am an African...

I found this poem today and it expresses how I feel about my adoptive home. I feel connected to Africa in a way that is stronger than a great fondness for the culture and land but it seeps through every part of me...

I am an African.
Not because I was born there
But because my heart beats with Africa's.
I am an African
Not because my skin is black
But because my mind is engaged by Africa.
I am an African
Not because I live on its soil
But because my soul is at home in Africa.

When Africa weeps for her children
My cheeks are stained with tears
When Africa honours her elders
My head is bowed in respect
When Africa mourns her victims
My hands are joined in prayer
When Africa celebrates her triumphs
My feet are alive with dancing.

I am an African
For her blue skies take my breath away
And my hope for the future is bright.
I am an African
For her people greet me as family
and teach me the meaning of community.
I am an African
For her wildness quenches my spirit
And brings me closer to the source of life.

When the music of Africa beats in the wind
My blood pulses to its rhythm
And I become the essence of the music.
When the colours of Africa dazzle in the sun
Amy senses drink in its rainbow
And I become the palette of nature.
When the stories of Africa echo around the fire
My feet walk its pathways
And I become the footprints of history.

I am an African
because she is the cradle of our birth
And nurtures an ancient wisdom.
I am an African
Because she lives in the world's shadow
and bursts with a radient luminosity.
I am an African
Because she is in the land of tomorrow
and I recognise her gifts as sacred.