Rewind to the moment when you stood with your breats free, panties off, stress free in the bathroom.

 

The eyebrow pencil pressed against your oily skin where the malnurished hairs above your eyes laid naked on top of eachother, 

 

like slaves waiting to be defined by a thick black color. The same thick black color that Youtube's skin bleaching videos promised to help smother.

 

 

Stop there and look at me.

What do I look like to you?

 

An eyebrowless infestation of every "disgusting" pigmentation?

 

Beautiful. I know. And this hideous creature with an elastic nose and endless forehead where pimples go to protest is able to make everyone smile except you 

 

because the gap between your teeth is not good enough to even be shown to me, your own reflection! So you frown everyday and you keep your mouth shut in fear of rejection. 

 

You keep your mouth shut for both of us so we can have a great first impression but what you don't realize is that this focal infection is spreading and blurring your sense of direction. 

 

"Save yourself the embarrassment" sure lets call it that, but with a mindset of self hatred and usless insecurities chained to your neck, you've refused to see me as a human being who deserves repect when all I ask is that you look at me and 

 

see where we've arrived at:

 

Hours spent cringing from the feeling of every 90 degree wall on your skull tearing back as the merciless comb disciplines your wild hair until it submits to the weave and the tracks. Years wasted on getting rid of the African accent 

 

that glossed every single word you spoke until you were shiny enough for social torment. And now that your English is fluent, you follow the stone throwing crowd to go and ruin the lives of your own people. Why won't you

 

 

stop there and look at me.

What do I look like to you?

 

A true blooded reflection, staring woefully at my naked manifestation, wondering why you've replaced my prideful African expressions with these eyebrow pencils and items to change my complexion. 

 

You are beautiful, you are beautiful! With every flaw I continue to scream: we are beautiful, I swear we are beautiful so why do you throw those stones at me?

 

They pierce my skin with momentary pleasure but when the compliments

 

fade out and the bathroom mirror shatters,

 

you're going to have to pick up the shards, and piece us

 

back togteher.