While searching for an afrofuturistic piece of work, I found this poem written by Rodger Bonair-Agard. The poem titled How the World was Made- a Super Crown incorporates aspects of West African and Caribbean folklore and does something new with it.
The poem is about Anansi who is best known from Akan folktale (Ghana). Anansi is most recognized as a spider but he can shape shift. In this poem, Bonair-Agard illustrated the moment when Anansi shifts from a spider to a man. Anansi (the man) is his own creator. He creates his own world through his senses. Theres is laughter and dance and it is very celebratory. He becomes who he is and recognizes his place through improvisation, experimentation and risk. The piece is a super crown meaning it has 24 sonnets instead of 12.
This piece shows how the past is used to create something new. Snead’s argument about the difference between Western culture and African culture is seen in this text. Bonair-Agard has a new, unique take on a classic folklore character. His poem has the theme of rejoicing, freedom and new beginnings. This parallels the theme of the afrofuturistic movement where creators have the freedom to define afrofuturism for themselves and create a unique piece representing that idea.