1. My black is not boundless,
It will not overflow
And drown my heart in a dusky sea.
So I am able;
To love and be loved.

2. My black is only skin-deep,
It has not seeped into my head
And sooted my brain.
So I am still knowledgeable;
To teach and be taught.

3. My black is manacled,
It will not reach out
And tug at my mind with inky hands.
So I am sensible;
To reason and be reasoned with.

4. Why then is it only my black you see?
Can you not catch a glimpse of my humanity when you gawk at me?
Do you not know that my black is just a pigmentation
And not a condemnation?
Or has the glory of my black dazed you so?