The black skin I’m in
Causes me to be beaten and whipped
Beaten to the point I couldn’t see
Broke the skin on my back until my spine had whelps
The black skin I’m in
Puts me in the category of animal
The dirtiest you can think of
The pig, the filthy beast, scum of the earth
The black skin I’m in
Led me to think, Nigga was my name
Even as a man, I don’t know who or whose I am
I have no self awareness
The black skin I’m in
Matches my bow-tie
Twisted and knotted, just like me, used to stay tied up
Until someone released me I have no control
The black skin I’m in
Forces me to live a life I didn’t ask for
A life of hardship, torture, and ignorance
Again I have no control, no control
Over choosing not to take this picture
The black skin I’m in
Forces you to tell my life story
The story of Benjamin Demoite Baptiste
I hate the skin I’m in
Jewel Harris is a 2010 GirlSpeak editor.
