Grades 11–12
PoetryWritingMy Blackness tastes like the first sip of Cherry Kool-Aid
on a hot summer’s day, bare feet burning on the front porch
impatiently waiting to play.
Sounds of hollering and laughter, nothing could turn this
into disaster, old-heads getting plastered, oh it’s such a good day.
From Mom yelling, “Stop running in and out my house!”
to Mom weeping, “Sometimes I wish you would be out and about.”
My Blackness is changing, my Blackness is rearranging,
My Blackness has turned into something everyone is imitating.
Talea
________
Dear future self,
Did you find your inner self yet?
I hope you did.
I hope you found out your desired purpose of life,
Always pondering on the thought if you were going to make it in
life.
I hope you achieved some of those goals you were so desperate to
make,
And all of those frightful paths that you were so destined to take.
I hope your smile still shows the beautiful blessing you are,
All of the actions you made to help show you’re a star.
I hope your power still grows like the Queen that you are,
Fighting to be seen as if you were thrown in a spar.
Oh sweetie, have you found out who you are yet?
Talea
***
This piece was originally published in 826 Valencia’s The Future is Black.
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