Curly back hair,
Brown silky skin,
That is the beautiful package I come in.
How often have you been looked at and not even seen?
How often have you wanted to love but people were so mean?
How many times have there been jokes at your expense?
Making you feel hurt and always tense?
Under breath comments,
Laughing at your heritage,
Not knowing the gaping gap you would love to bridge.
Taking the most marketable parts of you,
Always throwing away the rest,
Being all up in your culture,
Then making you feel like you are a guest.
When I'm all alone,
Deep inside the night,
Be strong beautiful soul,
Keep your head up high,
You know you come from a long line of kings and queens you can't deny.
Don't dumb yourself down to try to fit in,
You are unique,
You are unstoppable,
This is a long race but you have the stamina to win.
I love your strong curly black hair and your brown silky skin,
This is the place my story begins.
Can we find a way to connect the gaps between us?
Can we find a way to lighten the anger that fuels us?
I love my curls and my effervescent smile,
If you would only take the time to get to know me for a while.
I love my blackness,
I love me,
Why don't you see who I can really be?
A child of the universe,
A child of God,
A mother,
A sister,
A wife,
I'm not no underdog.
Sometimes I am alone,
Deep inside the night,
I love my blackness,
I love me,
How can you look at me and tell me that you don't even like what you see?
Curly black hair,
Brown silky skin,
That's the beautiful package that I come in.
Curly black hair,
Brown silky skin,
This is the state I love to be in.
As I go through my day,
Passing strangers along the way,
Some look at me with disgust,
Some even look away,
Like I'm not good,
Like I could only be bad.
I see the hate and I feel so sad.
Man,
Take the anger out of your clubs,
Take the hurt out your hands,
Let's try to heal this world with some love,
Let your compassion expand.
Fear comes up that I'm not enough,
Occasionally feelings of distrust.
I'm really enough when I'm feeling fine,
Unfortunately that's not all of the time.
How can I be alone?
What a sweet delight.
Now I hold myself and I love who I've become,
So maybe some healing has begun.
I just want to say there is a better way.
But when I am alone and it's deep in the night,
I celebrate my life without any fuss and without any fight.
I am enough,
I am loved,
I am strong with loving light from above.
I am unstoppable,
I am free,
I am all the things I was meant to be.
So please don't look away,
Look me in my eyes and hear me say,
Beautiful soul,
Meek and mild,
Come and find the shackles that I have left behind.
I am not alone.
Love has filled my life.
I love myself,
I love you.
I am enough and so are you.
Thanks for being here to share this journey with me.
Loving kindness is my only guarantee.
My black curly hair,
My brown silky skin,
This is the body I was proud to be born in.
Namaste.