Proper Brown Skin

Brown,
Honey Complected,
 or
 Dark Chocolate;
every shade of
black is beautiful.

Let no one tell you
 that you're
not beautiful.

It doesn't matter
 how white your skin
 ashes or how straight
your spine curves;
the only thing that
matters is the question
marks in your heart.

So many ask OTHERS
"Am I pretty enough?"
But, always fail to ask
 THEMSELVES
about their Beauty first.

It probably will never
make sense to me why
 so many brown skins
get labeled
 "White Face"
for speaking properly.

Please excuse my
straightened priorities.
But, I'm not sorry for
speaking properly.

Brown skin is often
 looked upon as having
the lesser education,
sloppy,
bums and (or)
even lazy.

But what about
those Slaves that
get beat for wanting to
 read books.?

Who would I be to
take for granted an
education that's been
handed to me
....For free?

Pardon me
 if I speak properly
and pardon my
commas and quotations
that move your run
on sentences out my way.
But ,
 I'm not sorry
for not being black
enough for you.

But I am sorry
 that you didn't pay
 attention in history
class or that you go
to a school where the black
 kids are wearing white face.

I'm devastated that
 you didn't know our
Great Grand Mothers &
Grand Fathers were
strange fruit.
your insults and
stereotypical comments
will not stain the teeth
of my beauty.

I'm not sorry but,
I refuse to be miss
used and guided by
 the blind.

Your black on Black
 racist jokes will not
stain the beauty of my brown.
I don't care who's making fun
of me, I'll continue to be
brown skin speaking properly.
This skin is beauty's property.

This is a picture of my Best Friend and I. She's one of the most beautiful young women I know. She and I are a great example for different shades of black can getting along & loving one another for who we truly are. Flaws, Perfections & all. All black is beautiful. Brown, Honey Complected, or Dark Chocolate; every shade of  black is beautiful.