Outside In — A Poem About Racism

Hello friends, I wrote this poem some time ago, after an experience of racism. The sad thing is that there have been so many that I can no longer remember which particular incident prompted me to write it. Anyway, for a change of pace, here it is:

You see me from the outside in

Distracted by the color of my skin

You see me from the outside in

Troubled by the color of my skin

You see me from the outside in

Agitated by the color of my skin

You see me from the outside in

Exasperated by the

Rich, warm, velvety blackness of my skin.

You see me from the outside in

Bothered by the shading of my skin

You see me from the outside in

Diverted by the pigment of my skin

You see me from the outside in

Angered by the darkness of my skin

You see me from the outside in

Disconcerted by the

Lush, smooth, silky blackness of my skin.

And what do you see?

African, servant, n**ger, slave

Every colored image, save

The one that’s really me.

Someone to serve your every whim

That reality was grim

For me, but not for you

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