Congratulations

Making my way up north,

Strange faces past, car lights flash and I’m college bound.

Fourth in line;

Second to succeed.

Stereotypically and statistically, I was supposed to be pregnant,

A dropout,

Or dead by now.

Beating the odds feels good like Gorillaz.

But staying ahead is harder than getting ahead.

A poor, black female.

I feel ¾ of Ms. Goldberg’s role in The Color Purple

‘Cept the color around me is green.

Green for the money I don’t have.

Green for the envy I feel

For those who already have their college tuition for the next four years.

They receive no pity and all praise.

There were no teachers that taught me—

No classes that prepared me—

For the life I would live after high school.

How does one make a smooth transition

From raising their hand to leave the room,

To making critical life decisions.

How did I go from, “You’re 17, you don’t know what you want”,

To “You’re 18 you have to decide what you want,” ?

I’m only 18…

And electrically signing my name away to be

$20,000 in debt was not what I was expecting as a

Graduation present.

I would’ve settled for a simple,

“Congratulations.”