Unpretty

Unqualified sources give unsolicited opinions
And there's a too in front of every adjective—
We're too dark, too light, too thick, too thin,
We're too tall, too short, too shy, too sassy,
We're too plain, too flashy, too modest, too sexy,
We're too smart, too dumb, too strong, too emotional—
How did you get in our head?

Confidence in self can only be born in the conscious of self
And you'll discover you're just right in every way—
Just the right amount of melanin, just the right curvature,
Just the right height, just the right personality,
Just the right style, just the right amount of class,
Just the right intelligence, and just the right way to feel.
Let that marinate in your mind...

So when those voices creep in voicing ignorance
Sowing seeds of doubt in the crevices of your mind,
Reject the negativity, reject the jealousy,
Reject the belittling, reject the hate,
Reject the images, reject the doubt,
reject the ordinary, reject the pain—
It's time to reclaim the thoughts floating in our brain.

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Clarke Sanders

The Women Who Made Me

The sound of my mother's voice,
Reading words from crisp pages—
Eleanora E. Tate taught me to be proud
To be slow to judge and grateful for my life.
Virginia Hamilton whisked me away
In folk tales passed down like a legacy.
Toni Morisson showed me the beauty of words,
That classics don't have to be white.
Nikki Giovanni gave me fire,
The courage to say what's on my mind.
And Octavia E. Butler spoke to my heart
When she conquered the white man's world...
I will always stop to enjoy the sound
Of black words rising off white pages.

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Catherine Hammond

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Seven Shooter

Books that Changed My Life

1. Just An Overnight Guest, The Secret of Gumbo Grove, and A Blessing in Disguise by Eleanora E. Tate
2. The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton
3. Songs of Solomon and Beloved by Toni Morrison
4. Kindred by Octavia Butler