Afrocentric

Africana, Serengeti kaleidoscopes
I painted with Zebra isotopes
 My ethnicity abounds from my
 afro follicles.
 Black fruit with pink middle 
 My garden cultivates Nubian yokes
forever bound like 
 Sampson tied to temple pillars 
 pulling with all my might 
 there was a time I discredited my blackness 
 Curls, waves, relaxer and activator 
 Wanting my soul to glow
 Not knowing the image reflected 
 back from Eden's pool
 was God saying Lou is that you?
 Confused, thinking my tar tone
 big nose and lips were haunting 
 but I know now it was only God calling,
 Blackness awakening 
 Fist held high, my race
 breathed relief “sigh” long drawn out
like an exhale that comes from that tired place
that place where all you can say is "oh, well"
and the inhale brings peace you don't understand
but you feel God placing your clay in order
We are what we've been denied 
We are what we've been holding inside 
We are the kinky, curly course shaft
the vein for all that is possible
and grows into a beautiful black afro
that thing hands can't get enough of
beautiful by default 
 Thoughts of ugliness 
  take a walk.
 Blackness, as round as
Erykah Badu's Afro
The circumference of us is this:
we are colored with spiritual isotopes
and what we need most
is the straightest line to love.
Put a part in it
O' how magnificent!
Copyright © | Year Posted 2016

Poem

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