Poetry

Black me

I was born black,
I was raised like a black,
By a strong  black woman.
I was nurtured and weaned
In the land of the black,
Where I call home.
I am a black woman.

I am not just a black woman,
I am a strong black woman.
I am what humans call "black beauty"
I am full of strength and dignity.
Full of strength does not mean
That I don't have a point
where I cannot be weak.
But by His grace,my strengths
Have overthrown my weaknesses.

When I want to write a book ,
Much more like a folkloric narrative,
About how Nene sold away
her old Granny,
Then I begin to wonder,
"Will they appreciate me for this?
will it not be awkward
that I write a book like a black?
Maybe I should sound a little bit more
Like the white folks,
So that my hard work
Would be looked at twice."

Then I begin to ponder over and over again,
" maybe I should  try be who I am not,
So the world would appreciate me ,
a little bit more."
"Maybe I should continue
to put on the mask for a while
so I can be praised for who I'm not."
These thoughts keep flying
in and out of my mind,
Like a butterfly with no direction.

Now I've realized, "I'm  only human,
I can't help being black."
Not like I destroyed a soul,
Not like I nailed our precious Jesus
to the cross.
I was just born black
There's no crime being black.

Yes! I speak like a black
But that doesn't make me
more or less human.
I know, I can't help but behave
like a black,
'Cause that's who I truly am - A black woman.

I appreciate mother nature
For me being black.
For black is the only reason
I'm a woman.
Not just a woman,
A strong black woman.