Black like me
Ain't "brown" like her
It's darker, more authentic
And it sho 'nuff don't look blended
Nothin' in me but negro
And it sho 'nuff shows!
The color of a coffee bean
And I admit not always easily seen
But when it shows,
It "SHOWS"
And it's sho 'nuff beautiful?
So, consider it stepping outside the cubicle,
The way I ain't at all 'shame'
To stand in the sun
And risk a tan
Ain't afraid of bein' darker than I am
Not like some folks
Who can't cope
With dark skin
Don't know what they would do
If they turned black-blue
So I had to come to a conclusion
To Step outside the dark skin/light skin
Illusion
'Cuz see, my skin, I really can't change it
You know, 'cuz this the God made it
And all my pigment really ain't none
Of yo' business
'Less you wanna tell me that ya love it
Like I do
'Cuz black like me ain't "brown" like her
And it never will be, 'cuz it's too easy 'bein BLACK, LIKE ME!

Mariel Hicks, Creative Writing Department