A Name for Success
My name is Khia-Rose
But that’s never said in full, it’s always Kai or Khijee
Unless you’re mad at me, or my mother,
Those two usually go hand in hand.
My name is a dark twisting river of scarlet,
Flowing down an old oak tree embraced in brambles,
The abrupt shift between the gentle rose petals
And a dark scarlet bead flowing down your finger
Thorns and petals
This and That
It bleeds
Pretty but painful
My name is Khia-Rose
Father fought for my name
“Anything to set my little girl up for success”
Arabic roots link it to life, purity and innocence
African roots tie it to wisdom and maturity
A woman who stands tall
My name is Khia-Rose
Upon introduction, people feel obliged to tell me how unique it is
As if I’m unaware
Hence my infantile desire to change it
I don’t care to fit others tastes
Im happy as i am, thank you.
I get a sense of triumph, proud not to fit into strangers’ standards
I dont always live up to the expectations and I’m certainly not perfect
Khia-Rose is a squeaky wheel, an incorrect concept.
Because i lack the feirce desire to fit into societies tight norms
And my name assures this
My name is Khia-Rose
But I used to wish it were Ashka.
The name “Ashka” leaps out at you, like a lemur
In the sweet Madagascan air
But my name is Khia-Rose
And apparently, I’m sweet, innocent, mature and strong
And maybe that’s okay.
by Khia-Rose Woodgate
This is a poem with a lively, feisty tone maintained from start to finish. The language used throughout is as vivid as the images. I especially liked ‘My name is a dark twisting river of scarlet / Flowing down an old oak tree embraced in brambles’ and the way in which those brambles are echoed by ‘Thorns and petals’ later in the first stanza. That theme of the good and not so good, the ‘petals and thorns’ of life as it is lived is referred to again and again with a light, defiant dexterity tinged with gentle humour: for example, ‘Unless you’re mad at me, or my mother/ Those two usually go hand in hand.