Zebra Baby

“Zebra Baby,” The words echoed. A label for an animal, Yet it was meant for me. Did I have stripes on my skin? Is that why eyes trailed along my length in public? The same eyes bugged out when I walked with my father and mother. My father black like a shadow, My mother a porcelain doll white, Children do not see mere skin color and cast judgement. Yet in that moment in a local JC Penney store- I developed stripes. They cut my skin like claws. Did I vary from the rest? Judgement upon oneself at such an early age has a dastardly effect. My seven year old eyes were opened in that moment. Everyone is not the same, Yet I saw no other who had stripes such as I, The revelation continued on into my pre-teens, Stripes still adorned my body during a time of predestined confusion, gnawing, menacing anxiety. Why am I different from the rest of my classmates--my teachers? Why is my skin littered with contrasting stripes? Why? So I tried to blend in, Paled my skin with makeup to cover those stripes, and avoided the sun, Burned my hair between two flat rods of iron, For once I was at an area of semi-peace. But the burned hair and pale skin wasn’t who I wanted to be. The elderly lady who pointed, Reveling with distaste at the combination of two races, Began this cycle of self loathing. I did not look similar to my classmates, In reality there was nothing to loathe. People are entitled to their opinions but- A mix is what created me. With this realization came a flourished sense of self, I kept my hair curly and embraced my golden skin. My color is something to embrace. In that small moment my life was majorly affected, It opened up a space within that allowed room for self-tolerance, And in turn tolerance for others despite contrasting aspects. I continue to grow a constant feeling of assurance echos, I am not a mere skin tone, Nor are others, I am not a “Zebra Baby.” I am a creation of a connection between two past lovers, I am a person of intelligence, I am imaginative, a writer and dreamer, A future doctor and LGBTQ+ activist, I am strong. I am me.