Black girl magic
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Poetry On Odyssey: Black Girl Minus Magic

I am a black girl, but I'm not magic. I am more than.

146
Poetry On Odyssey: Black Girl Minus Magic
https://unsplash.com/photos/LWkFHEGpleE

Black girl, you are so fly.

How fly is she?

She radiates a glow.

One that shines from within.

Effortlessly.

Limitlessly.

Soul so pure, you touch lives of those you only meet once.

Your divine energy transcends what the mind is capable of understanding.

You are so fly they don't even know what to call you.

No really, I know it sounds silly, but hear me out.

To them, you are that of the unnatural.

You are supernatural.

Something so spectacular and raw

It is almost frightening.

So still they must limit you.

Place you in a box.

Label box.

Dress it up.

Make it sound cute.

Sweet.

Innocent.

So they open their mouth and lift their tongue to call you magic instead.

Terrified that you may penetrate their ideology of you being unreal.

Inanimate.

Make them forget why they have their lip injections.

Wanting the very features they mock

laugh at

then go to the doctor to get.

Say things like, "Yeah she's pretty, for a black girl" and then run to the nearest place to spray their body in chemicals to look like said black girl.

Lusting over all the features they claim to hate then they choose to procreate

make life with black men

Smile when people compliment the babies features and say, "they can thank their dad for that."

Except compliments of the hair.

Call it textured.

Call it different.

Call them curls.

What they wanted to call it?

Nappy.

Raise hands to touch another black woman's hair.

While simultaneously asking questions like

"Can I touch it?"

"Is that your real hair?"

"How does it stay in?"

Intrigued as if weave was any different than their clip-in extensions.

Call Kylie Jenner the queen of wigs.

We laugh.

Have you seen my grandma's church wig?

NEW TREND ALERT!

Kim Kardashian wears Fulani braids.

Kim Kardashian wears cornrows.

First, they call it ghetto only to repackage it and sell it as fashion.

Try to jar our essence and sell it back to us.

Forgetting the strength of their existence is built on our "magic"

So when you achieve black girl

don't let them call you magic

you are no figment of imagination

no optical illusion

they cannot make your shine disappear.

Stand tall

head high

call yourself queen

call yourself healer

call them everything they were scared to speak into you.

Too afraid to call you power.

Too afraid it'll give you power.

Awakening the already burning fire we are born with in the pits of our bellies.

I will not be your personified ideology of a concept not even you can understand.

I am not magical.

I am real.

Standing here.

Do not try to equate me to falsified ideas to fit me in categories that suit your comfortability.

I am not "magic" on days I fit your criteria of what I should be.

I am tangible.

Address me and my melanin as such.

I am beauty in the truest form.

Call me Midas, because everything I touch turns to gold.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

105663
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments