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SHADES OF PURPLE

Credits: iStock (Eyefocusaz)

A ray of sunshine streams through my window, lighting up the white orchid sitting on the dining room table. I can hear the whistle of the song thrush, and the waves crashing on the sand. My hair is gradually changing colour, from grey to blonde, and my skin is taking on a rich golden tan. I put down my cup of herbal tea and look in the distance. I think about life, about who I am, everything I could have been, and what I have become.

My mother named me after a spring flower, Violet. My body expresses the colour of my emotions, like a chameleon blending into its surroundings.

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Master of my Destiny

Dyhia Fettouche

I am the hero of my tale.
Paralysis, why did you come without warning?
As a teenager, I was full of dreams.
Oh, doctor, you fulfilled your dream of becoming a doctor.
But, alas, mine drowned in the stream.
Oh, doctor, was your intent as pure as it seemed?
You stole my dreams, a thief in broad daylight.
Lost and weak, I prayed for a joke.
But reality slaps me in the face and puts me to the test.

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Maloya (My Voice)

Chapelle Pointue (St-Paul, Reunion Island). This chapel stands on the former estate of Madame Desbassyns, a prominent slave owner on the island. She had the chapel constructed to evangelize the slaves and prevent revolts.

Maloya, Maloya, I know who you are.
Maloya, Maloya, I know where you are.
Your waves crash in the palm of my hands.
Your drums echo in my head.
Your spell exalts my mind and body.
Maloya, Maloya, you are my remedy.

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