Melanin Maiden Poem by Ibn Ali

Melanin maiden
That thing you have in droves
You were never my fair lady
But you try
Extensions, bleaching
This is what we teach them
What they see on their screens
It's the standard
The news anchor, the athlete and actress
Conform, contort
Don't let them see who you are
They'll call your hair nappy
They're all gonna laugh
Let them
I think you're special
But it hurts me that you monopolize beauty to their features
When they don wigs to mock your hair
And yours you wear to emulate their's
Cultural hegemony
This thing that makes you fear
This thing that makes you scared
This thing that makes your soul despise its shell
Your strenght and defiance is reflected in your tress
Your constance in the amber of your eyes
God doesn't make mistakes
Don't change the way you're made
Don't change the very things that make you yourself