Black Poem by Ntozake (Saki) Stringfield

I called it twisted games of fate
Clouded eyes of pain
From a childhood raised in hate
Born into Black
Outcasted by my own
The source of their cruel jokes an attacks
I was what should not have been
Every sibling before me a shade lighter than the other
The ugly duckling always compared to beautiful sisters
Burnt! Scathed!
Told I should go unseen
Unloved
Filled with hate I felt for one person
Myself
Growing to spread to hate for them

Born into Black
As if it were my fault
But it was just an untrue curse for lighter skin, I lacked
And now with years gone by
Stepping over the obstacles and boundaries of ignorance my own had set upon me
NO longer enveloped in sorrow
I see the pain from a distance
They may have been the ones wrong, but I was the fool
I believed what they said
Spreading someone elses hate as my own, I was a tool
I know now
You were the ones unloved, you are the ingrate
I am beautiful
Trying to bring me down
I can stand for myself and be true
and tell all of yall its too late
I am them
I am you
And they are me, my own
We were born into black
Down they sit and I up I stand
The strong black woman

By: Saki