Billa Hissein

To know

by Billa Hissen


You listened, but made no changes.
You nodded, yet were you only pretending to hear?
You apologized,
So that you would never have to hear this again.
Took the words you wanted to absorb
And watched the rest gasp for air
Locked them away in a cell,
Far away in the back of your mind
And left them there for dead.
How is it that,
The very person who used to love watching the words spill out of my mouth,
As if they were watering the gardens of your mind
Could now not even bear to hear me speak?
When did my words become like daggers to your ears?
When did you stop loving them
And fear them instead?
I wish I knew.

My name is Billa Hissein Habré. I am a 25-year-old student at the University of Ottawa, studying Criminology and Gender studies. I deeply enjoy expressing myself through theater, painting, 0writing, and sports. I aspire to be an advocate for the African, Caribbean, and Black communities. As well as a practical and sincere ally to the Indigenous community. Furthermore, I strive to devote myself to the true emancipation and liberation of our people.