This Hair
The hair sits on my head like it's a throne
And I'm a heir to the heritage
Generations of my people passed this
crown on to me
You may call it nappy but don't sleep on
my royalty
I'm king-sized, never belittling myself of
feeling ashamed for the way it grows
above my brain
Or the way it rises to greet the rain
The way every strand curls, strives and strains
to make a home above the atmosphere
While you want to look at it in fear
Disdain, and wonder
Ponder with entitled and greedy hands
that violate our space the way you once did our lands
Hands that want to colonize the body of a continent
And plunder it for its contents
Don't ask for consent before you take what you want
The afro, cornrows,
twists, and braids
Never mind where it came from or why
they were made
You want locks without the dread of
having them shaved to save chances
of getting a job just so you can be paid
You want it all just so you can look "cool"
Nevermind all of us that get kicked out of
school, banned from pools, and told that we look like fools
All for being ourselves and expressing our pride
Want to take all the "nice" aspects of being black
but would never take the full ride
While we actually have to hide
Temper it
Take snide, rude, and smart remarks just
for a part of us that does what it does naturally
If I'm gonna be myself anywhere in this
country I have to do it aggressively
Unapologetically
I won't be a slave to standards that
hamper my individuality or expression
So to hell with what you say, think, or
the way you look at me
I don't care
Because I'm gonna wear this hair proudly
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