Defiant

As I sit in the succulent green oasis of my mindscape

I think of the golden light from the sun coating my skin in its glow

Oh how my dermis enjoys drinking the daylight

And I caress my hand and contemplate to when I noticed my shade of ebony

To when my burnt umber skin tone set me apart as other

The cries from the masses screaming out how I personified darkness

Physically, mentally, and intellectually

Because of my deep melanoid exterior, I became the adversary

The foe, the enemy, the contender

I began to contend with myself

My self-awareness plunging into a stygian abyss

Was I menacing and hostile

Was I unlovely

Was I inexplicably black

I could no longer recognize my quintessence

And the ethos of my being began to dim

But suddenly, like the crackling after a lightning bolt

A realization struck into my thoughts

I am the fruition of my ancestor's hopes and dreams

My dark skin sings of the sweltering heat and burning coals

It repels the dangers of ultraviolet's poison

My curly hair boasts of its resilience by absorbing the sun's rays

My tresses crinkle and dances when in contact with water

I stand with feet rooted to the rhythm of the drumbeats

The beating of my heart synchronizing with the beating of the talking drum

I stand in alliance with the vision of my predecessors

I am defiantly beautiful

Defiantly dark

Defiantly black