I am from Starbucks and skinny girls in mansions.

I am from can I feel your hair and is it real ?

I am from standing out like black bean in a sea of white rice trying to find those who look and are similar to me.

I am from broken combs and hair ballys the smell of hair grease.

I am from Lauryn hill and Aaliyah’s soft voices and also Tupac and Busta Rhymes speaking truth.  

I am from the broken home I know the the courthouse like the back of my hand.

Where at the age of 7 children services and police always wanted to talk to me.

I am from wondering what it is like to have both your mother and your father in one home showing love, care and setting good example.

I am from my grandfather taking me upstairs when I fell asleep on the couch every night.

Then every morning cooking and waking me up to the smell bacon, grits, eggs, and ham.

I am from watching my grandmother become ill and not recognizing who I am 

I am from saying goodbye to those I love just to remember memories 

I am from making sure my brother eats and letting him sleep with me because he is scared of the dark.

I am from making and sleeping in forts built with sheets, chairs, blankets and vacuums to hold it up 

I am from taking this bus,that bus, another and still being on time. 

I am from the real get it out the mud learning how to hustle with green making sure every penny was earned and not given.

I am from major athletes and also real inside and out beauty.

I am from scratches, bruises, playing rough but also loving sparkly lipgloss and painting my nails.

I am from you better be inside before the lights come on and running home as fast as I could every time they did to avoid a beating.

I am from white barbies with brown marker on their faces.

I am from jealous girls and holding my own but also learning to bite my tongue and walk away. 

To see when it is worth fighting for or not.

I am from long dresses and stockings every Sunday morning singing to God’s people seeing women jumping out their seats shouting and praising the lord wondering when will the lord touch me.

I am from nights of pain getting on my knees, putting my hands together and waking up to days of new strength.