Naniaka Camara

Girl ( Spoken Word)

29 April 2014
Heaven is Found at Your Mothers Feet
Listen here and Listen clear
My first daughter
Heaven is found at your mothers feet but
Not by your fathers mouth
Do not displease your husband or he may kick you out
Do no chew with your mouth full that is proper manners every girl
Should know about
Cover your head from your hair to the nape of your neck
To ensure no man sees the slightest of skin
Do not laugh loudly or talk loudly
To bring attention to yourself
Make sure not to dress too tightly
Or walk without grace
Do not ever eat without saying grace
Do not leave the house or enter without word to your mother and father
Do not play or befriend boys to dirty our family honor
Do not stay outside till ungodly hours
Youre a girl someone will take advantage of you
Do not sin by mouth or also indirectly
Oh, also make sure at the dinner table you sit correctly
Make sure the rice for the family is washed and cooked accordingly
Do not tempt men or accept to be tempted
Heaven is found at your mothers feet
So make sure on your daily basis you cook, clean, and then sleep.
*Inspired
by "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid in At the Bottom of the River (NY: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux,
1978) OR *Inspired by "Where I'm From" by Willie
Perdomo in Where a Nickel Costs a Dime (London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1996).