Keeping It 2 Virgils

This week is an intermission for us. We share with you a poem by Wole Soyinka, 

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Poem by Wole Soyinka

Music by Falk Schrauwen 

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Telephone Conversation’ is a poem written by Wole Soyinka, a renowned African writer in English. The poem exposes the presence of racial discrimination at the individual level in society even after the passing of laws against it. ‘Telephone Conversation‘, as the title suggests, is a conversation over the telephone. It is between a black man seeking a room for rent, and a white landlady who had advertised such an offer. Over the conversation, the hypocritical nature of the landlady as a racist is brought to light.

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The Poem

The price seemed reasonable, location

Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived

Off premises. Nothing remained

But self-confession. 'Madam' , I warned,

'I hate a wasted journey - I am African.'

Silence. Silenced transmission of pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,

Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled

Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was, foully.

'HOW DARK?'...I had not misheard....'ARE YOU LIGHT OR VERY DARK?' Button B. Button A. Stench

Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.

Red booth. Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered

Omnibus squelching tar.

It was real! Shamed

By ill-mannered silence, surrender

Pushed dumbfoundment to beg simplification.

Considerate she was, varying the emphasis-

'ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT' Revelation came

'You mean- like plain or milk chocolate?'

Her accent was clinical, crushing in its light

Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted

I chose. 'West African sepia'_ and as afterthought.

'Down in my passport.' Silence for spectroscopic

Flight of fancy, till truthfulness chaged her accent

Hard on the mouthpiece 'WHAT'S THAT?' conceding 'DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.' 'Like brunette.'

'THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?'

'Not altogether.

Facially, I am brunette, but madam you should see the rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet.

Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused-

Foolishly madam- by sitting down, has turned

My bottom raven black- One moment madam! - sensing

Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap

About my ears- 'Madam,' I pleaded, 'wouldn't you rather

See for yourself?'

In this weeks episode, we are joined by Alan. We reflect on our New Years resolutions, the mechanics of how to actually achieve these resolutions in the long run by thinking of the best plans. We speak about how to be more intentional with friends and family, seeing the comfort and normality in telling your friends and family that you love them or just something you find nice about them. 

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Follow Alan @alanhamda

In this week's episode of Keeping it 2 Virgils, we go educational with our special guest Adewale. Frank and Adewale bond on both being medical students, we talk about motivation, mentors, the cadet, making friends with other black people, safety bubbles, university expectations as black men and countries we'd like to visit. 

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Follow Adewale @adewale_kukoyi

Follow The Black Medic Plexus @blackmedicplexus

On this second episode of Keeping it two Virgils, we are joined with the fantastic, beautiful, unique, lovely, iyawo wa that is Oluwakemi (Kemi). She is honestly the best. We have a conversation about power in relationships, our relationship with social media, interactions with homeless people and for some reason, the abortion debate. 

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Follow Kemi on: @kemiahmed_

Get you lash treatment on @kezslashbar

On this first episode, we talk about white voices, identity, relationships, friendships, introductions and what we've learnt from 2020. 

There are some other ridiculous topics covered but we keep it stepping . 

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