Black body born, happy birthday

Black baby's first cry

Black girl in a white man's world

Black eye from daddy's toxic masculinity rectifies

 

Black mascara surging down mama's face, but she wasn't any better

Black bruises building like sediment around endless reassurance of defeat

Black awkward girl in the world with vivid dreams and first taste of depression

Black thoughts, dark thoughts, suicidal thoughts, would you like to meet?

 

Black blood from the dry spot of a perm that will hopefully make me look like Sarah

Black skin is pulling me down

Black boys noticing me 

Black body will help me get love, blood from a promise on my nightgown

 

Black mascara surging down like my mothers

Black girl in the psych ward, crazy lost cause

Black stat goes up, angry girl now in juvenile hall

Black self-hate, why didn't my conception pause?

 

Black possibilities, college might be for me

Black homelessness, on the street again

Black finish line, she got in

Black wallet to empty, you thought I'd let you make it, you bane?

 

Black scars covering her shoulder from empty love time capsules and incompletion of every desire 

Black strength won't give in, like rich melanin soaking vitamin D in the sun's piercing rage, and seeping dew 

Black woman found a piece of hope under a sticky black tar on her bright blood pumping heart 

Black woman's 24th birthday, still tries once more...what about you?