Kere 

The four-letter word

that I am fortunate enough 

to call my name. 

Means “Don’t forget the Lord”.

The name that made me 

hate attendance.

Always mispronounced

and often misheard.

Pronounced Care-ray,

Not Carrie or Karen or Key-ree.

The name that made

the substitute teacher pause. 

Sometimes written with

an accent above the second e.

Nicknames such as Ker, Kerizzle, Kerbear, or Kiwi.

A mixture of carebear and a ray of sunshine.

Unusual in America 

but common in Nigeria.

A beautiful name

that I resented growing up. 

Kere