Leaving not one body flawed

Embodying nature’s favorite hue,

Yet   you reprimand your kinky hair

and amend how you appear

You veil your nose

and lighten your skin

then dream of shaving your lips thin

You’re unraveling the stitches 

that your ancestors wove,

The lineage of people that look like you   chose

When are you going to

notice the fire in your eyes,

your ancestral cries?

When are you going to

embrace the smile that prances your face,

the sharp dip that defines your waist?

When are you going to

honor the body that grips your soul,

and bask in being whole?

When are you going to

hold your pigment with grace,

and stop trying to divorce the Black from your face?