I was always told 

My black was ugly
This wasn’t by family, 
To them I was pretty 

Society told me-

My black wasn’t beautiful, 
That it was something to fear…

They said I was
Dirt,
Mud,
A tar baby,

Porch monkey-

They said..if you were:
Lighter,
Your hair straighter,
Your name-
Plainer
Maybe then…we’ll claim ya

They made fun of my hair
And the way that it grows,
The size of my lips
The breadth of my nose,

Society told me I was worthless –

But God!

He said that I am 
fearfully and wonderfully made,
Whether a fro or in braids
Big nose,
Or big forehead

My black is beautiful-

My color extraordinary 
Like chocolate coated honey,
My hair defies gravity 
Even the stars are in awe of me,

No mud, dirt, nor tar,
Can quite match my color
If you look closely,
There’s a rainbow inside me

My Black is Beautiful-

You cannot hide me
You cannot break me
You cannot snuff the light 
That my black gives off,

Both day and night 
My black is beautiful 

No matter how society tries to define me…
#poetry

©Words With Faith2017