The woman in me
I would like to express my grievances.
I’ve been caught in a life
held by the disadvantage
of how every black girl
needs her mother.
–
I’ve never quite learned
how to do my hair.
Barrettes, hot combs,
sitting in a chair.
–
One thing I do love
is my brown skin.
A woman I’ve become
with fire within.
–
A beauty I’ve found
in my physique.
Discovered after a man
has reached his peak.
–
I wonder the kind of woman I’d be
if my mother had looked after me.
I wish my mother would see
the woman I have come to be.