Black girls
sit on the
staircase holding
white barbies
Questioning
their beauty and worth.
“How come I don’t look like her?”
Dear Black Girls,
Your skin is not dirty nor a liability
You are the tint of ebony and cocoa
Your skin is the ink of the midnight sky that guided generations just with the sight of the drinking gourd
Your skin is cinnamon, brown sugar, maple, toffee, blackberries and dates
You heart is a garden of dahlias, night tulips, petunias, baccarat's and chocolate cosmos
Your skin is black silk embroidered with precious tourmalines, glossy obsidian, onyx, opal and black pearls
You are the strength of Queen Amina, Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman
You are the royalty and legacy of Queen Sheba
Your roots are the fusion of the syncopated rhythmic patterns of blues and jazz
You hair is a lions mane crowned with curls
You are the intelligence of Sarah Boone, Sarah Goode, Mariam E. Benjamin
You are the soul of Aretha, Etta and Nina
--
Leina Finnegan is a self published poet of two poetry collections, "Poetry of A Noble Heart" and "Unspoken Feelings". She started writing at a very young age, as a means of expression and alleviating herself from experiences that once entrapped her. Her poetry is an array of emotions that frequently mirrors introspection or sociopolitical climates. She was included in the Top 50 Black Instagram Poets by @thedailygriot. She is currently working on her third poetry collection that is aimed to be a testament to growth.
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