Akilah and the Bee

I remember…

Overalls and tennis shoes

Race car beds and doll houses

A living room and two bed rooms

And the youngest kids are asleep

While I’ve got glass stuck in my feet

Now I think I remember

But I’m not sure

A 911 call

And me hiding on the floor

I remember

Grandma picking up her tweezers

And bloody glass

Now there’s a small black hole

To replace what was there last

Because now it’s

Short skirts and boots

But of course

Outside of school walls

Because I remember

When my life used to be glamorous

And now everybody tries to hammer me

But let me redirect you to the cameras

Because now it’s

Ripped jeans and long weave

Let’s understand

I’m not your friend because we both chose not to be

Partly because you think you know me

Oh I’m sorry

I’ll dumb it down for you

I don’t play dumb to make friends

And as you attempt to walk away

Let me just say

I’m not done with this speech

I mean this poem I have to read

Because I clearly remember 5th grade

I wore glasses and beaded braids

And I remember the sweetest little phrase

“Akilah is a man”

And then there was 6th grade

And all the girls looked the same

But guess who gets picked on for wearing tights a slightly different shade

And now I’m in high school

I went from being a man to a girl who is weird

Because I sit quietly and do my work like I’m supposed to

I try not to catch attitudes

Because honestly I don’t know you

I remember being told not to speak

Because when I speak

I ruin everything