Black Girl, Quiet
I am sensitive to the silencers The ones who shoot you dirty looks When your laugh is too big for the room Or your lipstick too loud for your color
I don’t care for censorship Asking me to lower my voice and temper my language Because others need the space To be comfortable
I have no use for restriction On my expression My desire for freedom Has left me partial to the ones Who love me, when I am angry— Cus I am angry often And not shy about expressing it
I have given only to those Who will stand by me While my neck is rolling, my fingers flying And my tongue bleeding with fury
I am attracted to the very few Who don’t need me or my music To be soft, and quiet And understand that I feel rhythm In my chest and hips That my big feet Will bang craters in the ground when I walk
I need ones who honor dips and valleys Who follow in the footsteps of wise elephant women
© Ama Akoto (2018)