Am I not black enough?
Despite my kinks,
Despite my naps,
am I not black enough?
Despite my will,
Despite my drive,
am I not black enough?
My words are pronounced too sharp.
My skin too light. My lips too small and my cheeks too red.
I don't eat like a black person.
I smile too large. I love too hard.
I walk modest.
I don't talk like a black person.
Am I not black enough?
I suffered like you.
I hurt like you.
I'm angry just
like you.
You tell me I don't have the qualifications
to be proud.
I don't carry the same weight you carry,
but I carry the burden of black ,
being discriminated,
being violated,
being degraded.
being judged.
All because of melanin,
which has infiltrated my skin, by the hand of cosmos
I would wash it away if I could.
Scrub so hard until I turn the color you want me to be.
I did that before.
You did that before?
