Inclusive Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

I use to think of it as inclusive.
Those with appearances,
Of a similar and familiar physicalness...
Immedicately identifying,
One's own ethnicness!

And everyone I knew,
I thought...
Chose to be inclusive too.
Until I was told...
I have a wide nose,
Hair that napped.
And I spoke with an obvious,
Ethnic dialect!

And...
I thought 'How strange.
How ridiculous it is!
To have someone wearing a flowing wig.
A nose wider than mine...
And 'blue' contacts.
With painted fingernails paid,
Before feeding unfed kids.'

And...
The men wore suits and ties.
Appearing much 'affected' too!
Inclusively denying a heritage...
Until they felt they had to,
Fess up to that too!

'Did you see him,
Wearing his hair in those awful dreads.
Trying to get specific attention.
To prove a pride connected to an African descent.
When 'we' represent...
A progressive intelligence!
I am so glad his appearance near us was brief! '