Tokens
I used to think of tokens
in terms of appreciation
Until someone mentioned
something in passing
they said they had grown weary
of being a token
What a curious thing to say
is what I thought at the time
But I soon got to see it all
for what it really was
It often starts off innocently enough
The appeal of getting the opportunities
denied the rest of your kind draws you in initially
To be the exception to the rule
is most certainly a thrill
You get to be the exotic one
while the others are seen as repulsive
It can quickly turn to one selling their soul to earn or maintain approval
It's an easy trap to fall into in all fairness
In most cases you have to be a yes man
Willing to vote against your kind to fit in
Being a complete and shameless sell out is a must
You have to put up with being stereotyped for effect
Even throw in a few laughs at bigoted jokes
aimed at your kind for added bonus
Nobody wants to be rejected obviously
but being a token might result in self betrayal
or even self hate,I think
You have to shun a part of yourself
in order to be useful in concealing disparity
Be the bold voice and face that represents a false display of equality
How do you ever look your kin
in the eye again after that, I wonder
Or even look at your skin and coily hair with love ever again
Do you simply stop seeing any of that
as part of your identity, maybe
How does one even begin to cope with all that burden
You might even start believing the scam that you have been lured into
Its truly tragic in my opinion
But then again what do I know
I'm not built to be a pet
I'm an African wildling
I was born free
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