I am “ethnic”

Too dark for one group

Too light for the other

Not proper enough to be heard

But too proper to speak in terms of "the brother"

Naturally born with characteristics others pay thousands for 

Full lips, big chest, dimpled smile, errorless complexion

But still not the average example of beautiful

 

I am an honor student

From birth I've been placed

Only based

On intellectual ability

How well I can remember the right answers

How high my grade point average is

What my SAT and ACT scores consist of

Constantly competing for the 

top spot, top rank, highest score, best college 

Technically better than average

But still not good enough to be better than the best. 

 

I am naive

A young girl 

With an open mind and heart 

Eager to love those who may not deserve it

This fact being obvious from the start

And even though I already know I it I

still try. 

Offering a shoulder for each cry 

A kiss for each lie

Repeatedly hearing how I would be perfect if I wasn't

Too young or too clingy or maybe too distant

How if only I was this and that then I would be IT

But still in the end I am not enough 

 

I am not enough

And it would seem that although

I am never enough for the world today

That I would bow my head in defeat

But instead I embrace these imperfections that make me unique

You see, I am more than a label given to me

I am strong, an African American queen

I am an intellect, intelligent, and far from in between

I am loving, beautiful, and the missing piece to someone’s puzzle

Constantly giving away without being broken down

Because I am worth too much to see the tip of my crown touch the ground

 

At the end of the day

I may not be enough for the world

May always be just a label among a sea of others

but internally, I know I'll always be

something that can't be taken away from me

something that can't be labeled

and that something is ME.