The Nod

By Roger Robinson

There are living secrets within our skins

truths that only we can see,

or maybe memories, for the two seconds black men

nod asking Have you suffered? Are you surviving?

Both men knowing to be black in places foreign 

means to be in struggle with the mind, money or both.

As pain will often recognise pain

in the dim whites of each other’s eyes

A quick acknowledgement that makes us feel human,

a gathering of our tribe, a collective recognition.

Sometimes we are a rare sighting to each other,

so praise for how deep our glanced nods can go.

What living have we patched together leaning

headway into strife with no victories to talk of

for we can be lonely even in big crowds

when there is no one to be our mirror.

So praise for these moments of quick recognition

miracles of synchronicity and signalled kinship.

Roger Robinson

Roger Robinson is an award-winning writer and performer from Trinidad now living in Britain.