My blackness goes before me

A steady anger burns within me
Welling up from deep
Deep inside

Three-fifths of a human being
The sacred constitution of the
Red, white and blue

Walking into a room
My blackness goes
My blackness goes
Goes before me

Those of the majority
Not all
Not few
But many
Still do not see
See me as
human
woman

Only
Black

Not as mother
Of a beautiful almond eyed
Sepia skinned
Baby girl
Not as graduate
of
Ivy league
Not as wife
As I
As Me

Someone whose life is
Just as significant
Meaningful
Purposeful
Beautiful

Three-fifths of a human being
The sacred
Sacred constitution of the
The red, white
Red, white and blue
Not removed
Still written in
Indelible ink
To be read
Perused
Overlooked
Excused
Invoked

When I walk in
Into a room in my blackness
Precedes me
You see not I
Not mother
Not woman
Not wife
Just

Black

Nothing has changed

So many things locked in
Racist
Classist
Sexist
Passive aggressiveness
Intellectual sarcasm
Impoverished ignorance
Blatant Alienation

Little has changed
I am
Black and living next door
Behind the same white
Picket fence
Enduring bleached smiles
But not with
Eyes

A steady anger
Burns within me
Welling up from deep
Deep inside

Three-fifths of a human being
The sacred constitution
Of the red, white, and blue
Blackness walking
Walking into
Into the room before me

See Amaranthia’s art blog at AmaSepiaChan and VanietyBird