Being brown

Have you ever had your house bricked,

And your legs kicked?

Just because you’re brown.

Have you ever been asked to change your name,

And you find the guts to refuse as it’s so lame?

Just because you’re brown.

Have you ever been asked how people might react to you,

And you're young and new?

Just because you’re brown.

Have you ever worked twice as hard but still got passed over for that promotion,

And you don’t cause a commotion?

Just because you’re brown.

Have you ever been bullied,

Yet the perpetrator is not the one sullied?

Just because you're brown.

But

I AM BROWN AND PROUD

I don’t write poetry but last night I couldn’t sleep, and this came to me which draws on my own lived experiences. Perhaps because it’s Black History Month. Whatever the reason, I'm sharing it here.