Poetry

By

Renee Drummond-Brown

 

 

‘BLACK’ for No Apparent Reason

 

 

Some say

I’m way too loud

Some say

I’m wild

Some say

‘Imma’ beast

Without

A beauty inside

 

Some say

I’m ‘EVIL’

Some say

I’m too fat

Some say

I’m bald

Nappy, ugly and ‘BLACK’

 

Some say

I’m too skinny

‘Wit’

Big poppy eyes

Carmel coated

On ‘da’ inside

‘NAW’

I’m

‘Jus’ ‘BLACK’

 

Some say

I’m too ‘yeller’

And don’t

Quite fit in

Not enough ‘BLACK’

Not enough white

For acceptance

By anyone’s kin

 

But…

‘I’z’ ‘sayze’

I’m ‘jus’‘BLACK’

For No Apparent Reason

(At all).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lil’ Color Girl in me

 

 

Rusty around the edge

Even ‘MESSY’ too

Often times

Untidy

Muddled

Chaotic

Cluttered

Disorganized

And at times

Confused

 

 

‘BUT’

From my breast

Everyone in ‘DIS’ land’s

Been fed!

All the while

Pained inside

Giving you ‘ALL’ my ‘ALL’

Feelings can’t be hid

To hide my tracks of tears

And those lies

You’ve told over the many years

Knowing both what ‘YOU’ said and did

You know who you are

Therefore, pride is well hid

Before anyone’s fall

 

I ache for the black man

And his son(s)

Because he holds me accountable

For the injustices done

But somehow

I KNOW

THAT I KNOW

His Son

Will show

Grace and mercy to them

For this I do know

 

STILL YET,

An artificial smile

Worn on my face

Somehow

I manage to ‘SWAG’ in pure grace

Maya said I was phenomenally made

After all

Turning my tides upside down

For I can no longer hide

When no one else is around

I know that I know

I’m that ‘BLACK’ ocean

She describes

Leaping wide

Cause I’m both an easy target

And an easy find

 

I try extremely hard

At giving everyone my all

But all in all

Like Eve

I too must take falls

Down

But I dare get back up

To answer

Only

To ‘His’ Call

 

The lil’ color girl in me

Scrapes the bottom barrel

Never confrontational

Nor wasting time on quarrels

Disputes

‘AINT’ my game

To me

Squabbles and tiffs are just as lame

 

Children

Can’t understand my worth

More than just birth

Life was sapped out of me

Why don’t they ‘SEE’

“The Lil’ Color Girl in me”

Existing in this life

So that everyone else lives

All the while

Burdened with misery and strife

Syndrome knows me by name

The concurrence

Started ‘wit’ ‘dat’ slave

I hate Jamestown trees

‘Cause’ 1619

Reminds me of me

 

Lord why can’t you free???

“The Lil’ Color Girl in me”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Renee Drummond Brown

I was born in North Carolina, at Camp Lejeune US Naval Hospital and am a graduate of Geneva College of Pennsylvania. My love for creative writing is undoubtedly displayed through my very unique style of poetry. My poetry is inspired by God and Dr. Maya Angelou. Because of them I pledge this: “Still I write, I write, and I’ll write!” “Renee’s Poems with Wings are Words in Flight” is flown across the seas by God’s raven. There are several Scriptures that I love; however, this one speaks volumes during this ‘season’: “And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.” (Genesis 8:7 KJV).