good evening ladies and gentlemen my name is su Kela Islam I am currently a
name is su Kela Islam I am currently a
name is su Kela Islam I am currently a junior at the University of Michigan
junior at the University of Michigan
junior at the University of Michigan Golu and I am a spoken-word poet but in
Golu and I am a spoken-word poet but in
Golu and I am a spoken-word poet but in elementary school I was just that kid
elementary school I was just that kid
elementary school I was just that kid who liked words I used to collect words
who liked words I used to collect words
who liked words I used to collect words like my friends collected pokemon cards
like my friends collected pokemon cards
like my friends collected pokemon cards penultimate vivacious malevolent in
penultimate vivacious malevolent in
penultimate vivacious malevolent in middle school I was that student who
middle school I was that student who
middle school I was that student who took every creative writing assignment a
took every creative writing assignment a
took every creative writing assignment a little too far and for some reason all
little too far and for some reason all
little too far and for some reason all of my fairy tales used to end in zombie
of my fairy tales used to end in zombie
of my fairy tales used to end in zombie apocalypses I think I don’t really know
apocalypses I think I don’t really know
apocalypses I think I don’t really know why either but in high school I competed
why either but in high school I competed
why either but in high school I competed in international youth poetry slams and
in international youth poetry slams and
in international youth poetry slams and just last year I had the honor of
just last year I had the honor of
just last year I had the honor of performing at the White House
all of this became possible due to the
all of this became possible due to the people I’ve met through Inside Out
people I’ve met through Inside Out
people I’ve met through Inside Out literary arts Detroit which is a
literary arts Detroit which is a
literary arts Detroit which is a not-for-profit organization that
not-for-profit organization that
not-for-profit organization that encourages young writers across Detroit
encourages young writers across Detroit
encourages young writers across Detroit to think broadly and create bravely if I
to think broadly and create bravely if I
to think broadly and create bravely if I hadn’t found out about inside-out I
hadn’t found out about inside-out I
hadn’t found out about inside-out I would not have come to love and create
would not have come to love and create
would not have come to love and create art knowing that all I need is a pen and
art knowing that all I need is a pen and
art knowing that all I need is a pen and paper to go from just a kid who liked
paper to go from just a kid who liked
paper to go from just a kid who liked words to performing at the White House
words to performing at the White House
words to performing at the White House it really made me appreciate just how
it really made me appreciate just how
it really made me appreciate just how much a little push in the right
much a little push in the right
much a little push in the right direction can take you if I hadn’t found
direction can take you if I hadn’t found
direction can take you if I hadn’t found out about inside out in 2009 I wouldn’t
out about inside out in 2009 I wouldn’t
out about inside out in 2009 I wouldn’t be me today I wouldn’t have this voice I
be me today I wouldn’t have this voice I
be me today I wouldn’t have this voice I wouldn’t have this stage and I
wouldn’t have this stage and I
wouldn’t have this stage and I definitely would not have this power to
definitely would not have this power to
definitely would not have this power to speak my truth and today I’d like to
speak my truth and today I’d like to
speak my truth and today I’d like to perform for you
perform for you
perform for you a poem that speaks that very truth it is
a poem that speaks that very truth it is
a poem that speaks that very truth it is entitled apology to my father my father
entitled apology to my father my father
entitled apology to my father my father has the pride of a thousand sons the
has the pride of a thousand sons the
has the pride of a thousand sons the kind of pride that leaks out of him as
kind of pride that leaks out of him as
kind of pride that leaks out of him as he walks the kind of pride that radiates
he walks the kind of pride that radiates
he walks the kind of pride that radiates from him as he talks the kind of pride
from him as he talks the kind of pride
from him as he talks the kind of pride that’s so bright that I can’t even look
that’s so bright that I can’t even look
that’s so bright that I can’t even look him in the eyes sometimes my father’s
him in the eyes sometimes my father’s
him in the eyes sometimes my father’s pride is as deep as the ancient green
pride is as deep as the ancient green
pride is as deep as the ancient green forests behind his Bangladeshi home and
forests behind his Bangladeshi home and
forests behind his Bangladeshi home and as strong as the rigid jackfruit trees
as strong as the rigid jackfruit trees
as strong as the rigid jackfruit trees that stand tall even during the monsoon
that stand tall even during the monsoon
that stand tall even during the monsoon season floods that’s why I know that he
season floods that’s why I know that he
season floods that’s why I know that he will never accept my apologies dear
will never accept my apologies dear
will never accept my apologies dear father you came to this country only the
father you came to this country only the
father you came to this country only the clothes on your back and the hopes and
clothes on your back and the hopes and
clothes on your back and the hopes and dreams of your family in your pocket
dreams of your family in your pocket
dreams of your family in your pocket hopes and dreams so heavy that they wage
hopes and dreams so heavy that they wage
hopes and dreams so heavy that they wage you down every step you took putting so
you down every step you took putting so
you down every step you took putting so much pressure on you that you melt to
much pressure on you that you melt to
much pressure on you that you melt to the ground in prayer time and time again
the ground in prayer time and time again
the ground in prayer time and time again I’m sorry that this country will not
I’m sorry that this country will not
I’m sorry that this country will not accept you I’m sorry that your skin is
accept you I’m sorry that your skin is
accept you I’m sorry that your skin is too
too
too Brown too similar to dirt to be worth
Brown too similar to dirt to be worth
Brown too similar to dirt to be worth anything if anything it’s only good for
anything if anything it’s only good for
anything if anything it’s only good for their cheap labor I’m sorry your English
their cheap labor I’m sorry your English
their cheap labor I’m sorry your English is too broken like jagged shards of
is too broken like jagged shards of
is too broken like jagged shards of glass they’re too afraid of cutting
glass they’re too afraid of cutting
glass they’re too afraid of cutting themselves on your sentence fragments so
themselves on your sentence fragments so
themselves on your sentence fragments so they clench their fists full of insults
they clench their fists full of insults
they clench their fists full of insults before even getting to know you I’m
before even getting to know you I’m
before even getting to know you I’m sorry your faith is too strong that it’s
sorry your faith is too strong that it’s
sorry your faith is too strong that it’s become a threat to the people around you
become a threat to the people around you
become a threat to the people around you instead of realizing how beautiful your
instead of realizing how beautiful your
instead of realizing how beautiful your voice sounds coming from the minaret of
voice sounds coming from the minaret of
voice sounds coming from the minaret of a mosque they silenced your needs and
a mosque they silenced your needs and
a mosque they silenced your needs and turn a deaf ear to your problems it’s
turn a deaf ear to your problems it’s
turn a deaf ear to your problems it’s been two decades since my father came
been two decades since my father came
been two decades since my father came here and he’s begun swallowing his pride
here and he’s begun swallowing his pride
here and he’s begun swallowing his pride like diabetes pills doctor’s orders
like diabetes pills doctor’s orders
like diabetes pills doctor’s orders the unseen unheard unless you were born
the unseen unheard unless you were born
the unseen unheard unless you were born in this country you will always have
in this country you will always have
in this country you will always have second priority while sitting in the
second priority while sitting in the
second priority while sitting in the waiting room but my father’s sight has
waiting room but my father’s sight has
waiting room but my father’s sight has gone bad from turning a blind eye to the
gone bad from turning a blind eye to the
gone bad from turning a blind eye to the people who mock him so many times that
people who mock him so many times that
people who mock him so many times that he can’t even read the fine print on his
he can’t even read the fine print on his
he can’t even read the fine print on his prescription maybe that’s why he takes a
prescription maybe that’s why he takes a
prescription maybe that’s why he takes a little too much overdosing on becoming a
little too much overdosing on becoming a
little too much overdosing on becoming a pushover in a society that has no
pushover in a society that has no
pushover in a society that has no problems pushing him over the edge
problems pushing him over the edge
problems pushing him over the edge father I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m writing a
father I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m writing a
father I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m writing a poem to you in the language you’ll never
poem to you in the language you’ll never
poem to you in the language you’ll never fully understand I’m sorry I can’t even
fully understand I’m sorry I can’t even
fully understand I’m sorry I can’t even properly tell you how much I love you
properly tell you how much I love you
properly tell you how much I love you because they didn’t let me speak your
because they didn’t let me speak your
because they didn’t let me speak your mother tongue in the school I was
mother tongue in the school I was
mother tongue in the school I was adopted into I’m sorry I’m sorry
I’m sorry this country is such a cruel
I’m sorry this country is such a cruel lover to you binding you to it with
lover to you binding you to it with
lover to you binding you to it with blackmail I know you’re only in this
blackmail I know you’re only in this
blackmail I know you’re only in this destructive relationship for the sake of
destructive relationship for the sake of
destructive relationship for the sake of your children and your children with one
your children and your children with one
your children and your children with one foot in America and the other in
foot in America and the other in
foot in America and the other in Bangladesh no you can’t fight a war when
Bangladesh no you can’t fight a war when
Bangladesh no you can’t fight a war when you’re standing at the border so when
you’re standing at the border so when
you’re standing at the border so when people fire insults your children follow
people fire insults your children follow
people fire insults your children follow in your footsteps overdosing on silence
in your footsteps overdosing on silence
in your footsteps overdosing on silence swallowing the pride of a thousand suns
swallowing the pride of a thousand suns
swallowing the pride of a thousand suns and becoming shadows that can only carry
and becoming shadows that can only carry
and becoming shadows that can only carry apologies thank you
apologies thank you
apologies thank you [Applause]
”
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