I am Gambian

By Sulayman Njie

I come from the Kambi Bolong,

the smiling coast

I am Pa Small, the clarion call

I am Sandeng,

the rallying cry

I am Louis Thomasi,

I am the Red,

White, Blue, Green

I am Gambian

I am “Ya Boye”, I birthed, toiled,

nurtured this land

I grew the “barra mano”

and fed the land

I am the oyster-farmer of Saro

I am Harriet N’Dow, the educator

I am Sanneh-Bojang, the trailblazer

I am Nabaneh, the bearer of the torch

I am Gambian

I am Lenrie, the teller of stories

I am Landing Kintehba,

the singer of hosannas

I am Sonia, I waltz the Kora

I am OBoy and Gambian Child, I am hip

I am Gambian

I am the palm-wine tapper

of Kunkujang Mariama

I am Kumbujeh, the Soninke-Marabout wars

I am the Sankandi Skirmish

I am Burufut Sanimentereng and

Tujereng Fantatintin, I beckon the dead

and summon the living

I am the rock at Hella Kunda

I am buried at the ruins of

Wassu and Tripolitania

I am Gambian

I am Aku,

I am Bambara,

I am Fula,

I am Jola,

I am Karoninka,

I am Mandinka,

I am Manjago,

I am Mankagne,

I am Serahule,

I am Serer,

I am Wolof,

I am the descendent of Lebanese,

Moroccans, Mauritanians

From many lands I come,

I am Gambian