Broken Masterpiece
By Liana Komeng
“Broken Masterpiece” is a poetic piece revolving around the misconstrued perceptions of what it truly means to be an African American living in modern day society.
I feel it, the dark, smooth, cocoa outer shell that covers my blood, The blood of those who came before me, The blood of those who fought for my right to be this exquisite and rare work of art. But they don’t want to see me They want to brush off my existence, shred my work, Because history tells me I am broken. I hear it, the softly spoken tongues and expanding cultures that surround a family of beige, connected roofs, The place where music and friendly faces greet you at every corner, The place that my God gave me the opportunity to reside in. But they want to tear it down They want to dismantle my home, destroy what we have built, Because maliciousness tells me I am broken.
I see it, the vibrant, luscious, varying shades of black and brown meshing together to form one beautiful and diversified picture, A picture that has long been ready to be valued, A picture that longs to be desired and placed among those that so freely earn a spot in the gallery. But they despise our paintings, They want to water it down, flush our stories, Because privilege tells me I am broken. They judge and disassociate themselves from us, They don’t want to live in a world where our existence is inevitable, They believe that we are ruined, A mistake, just an accident that continued to spread like a plague. Ignorance tells me I am broken. And maybe I am. But this is MY BRO- KEN MASTERPIECE
Girls Write Now On the Other Side of Everything: The 2023 Anthology
Do you know what it’s like to communicate with your family across a salty ocean’s divide? Do you want the sun and moon to enter your home with stories written in embers? Do you seek voices that will punctuate the darkness? Welcome to the other side of everything. It’s the other side of silence, the other side of childhood, the other side of hate, the other side of indifference, it’s the other side of sides, where the binary breaks down. It’s a new paradigm, a destination, a different perspective, a mindset, a state of openness, the space between the endless folds in your forehead, hopes for tomorrow, and reflections on the past. This anthology of diverse voices is an everything bagel of literary genres and love songs, secrets whispered in the dark of night, conversations held with ancestors under the sea.
Process
The process of writing “Broken Masterpiece” was genuinely eye-opening. In our present day era, African Americans are continually oppressed and vilified. Observing the tragic events that led up to the devastating and inexcusable deaths of vibrant young and old Africans Americans around the world inspired me to speak upon the lingering issue. Racial prejudice is unfortunately everywhere and I sought to display how dangerous it has become. Through the workshops offered by Girls Write Now, I was able to carefully articulate my personal views regarding racial discrimination in order to create this amazing and profound piece of art.
Liana Komeng
Liana Komeng is currently a junior in high school who was born in Manhattan, but raised in Queens, New York. She is enrolled in two AP classes and is also taking a college course in Finance. Liana enjoys writing poetry and has recently found an interest in creating flash fiction pieces. Liana is currently a mentee in Girls Write Now and has received a lot of beneficial feedback about her writing by her mentor Jillian. Liana is gradually growing as a writer and is excited for what is to come of her future as a writer.
