Gorse
I’m getting a tattoo tomorrow of a gorse branch. I’m inking identity because it feels necessary but I worry it's a little desperate. Gorse grows in my favourite parts of Scotland, in both the east and the west. Hanging on coastal crags, embossing the sides of dual carriageways.
Gorse is adapted to dry growing conditions. It is common to see it in Mediterranean areas from countries like France, Spain, Italy and Algeria.
When asked why I’m getting this plant tattooed along the back of my arm, I reply it’s something that will always be part of me.
Tizi Ouzou is a city in north-central Algeria. It is among the largest cities in Algeria. It is the second-most populous city in the Kabylie region. The name Tizi Ouzou is made up of two Kabyle words: Tizi meaning col (valley), and Ouzou meaning Genisteae (Gorse). The full name of the locality, therefore, means "the valley of the gorse".
In Tizi Ouzou’s Kabylie Berber mountainsides, the yellow flowers bloom. They are embedded in the shards of green glass that line the roadside. Berber beer bottles glinting under a Mediterranean sun. It’s my first time in Algeria. I’m four years old. I'm in a car. The green and yellow look like the flags I saw outside the airport, on the shoulders of my cousins when they came to collect us. In my Gran’s courtyard, my Scottish feet burn on the paving stones. I try to play football but I’m not very good. I’m told that my grandpa played for JSK, a successful Kabylie team. I feel like I should be better at football.
The Kabylie region experiences a hot climate. Its geography has played an important role in the people's history. The difficult landscape of Tizi Ouzou served as a refuge when under pressure or occupation.
I don’t know what anyone is saying but it doesn’t matter. I play in the streets with my cousins and we find canisters of tear gas. My eyes water for the rest of the day. I like that there are fewer rules here. I learn how to say essential Berber words like ill ha — ”it’s good”. My skin goes darker, the soles of my bare feet tougher. I feel very free.
Read the full piece in Issue 6 of Middleground Magazine!
