You may not like the colour of my skin <br />whether it mocks the tawny mare of a lion <br />strolling through the Savannah <br />or whether it emulates the wings <br />of an eagle escalating over Alaska’s milky mountains. <br /> <br />You may not comprehend the known traditions of my culture, <br />whether I greet you with a kiss on both cheeks <br />decorate my body with a bindi <br />talk to you in accelerated Patois <br />or dance in Ashanti style. <br /> <br />You may laugh at the number the arrow <br />falls on the weight scale <br />when I’m propped on it, <br />and what I packed for lunch may cause <br />you to point and whisper. <br /> <br />Maybe my eyes are too far apart, <br />my nose too miniscule, <br />my lips may stretch too wide, <br />my ears may stick out a little too much, <br />or possibly my chest is too flat. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />So I guess you aren’t too fond of the <br />zebra-printed t-shirt I wore to school today, <br />or the blond streaks in my short black hair. <br /> <br />I guess you didn’t find that joke I made earlier <br />too funny, <br />maybe my laugh was too loud <br />or maybe my quirky nature throws you off. <br /> <br />So I don’t sport as much curves as Beyonce, <br />my hair isn’t always ready to be tamed, <br />maybe you don’t like the fact that I feel <br />the need to take a book everywhere. <br /> <br />But guess what? <br /> I don’t care. <br />God made me beautiful in the skin that I’m in, <br />I hardly need your approval. <br />So if you can’t accept me <br />then I can’t help that. <br />Because like it or not, that’s Who I am.<br /><br />Alexandra Yeboah<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/who-i-am-58/
