Trying

Trying

Black women are battered by society every day and we cover up our bruises with our achievements.

The more we achieve, the fewer of our scars you see.

We say to ourselves, smile, rise, go high, because we have to.

Resilience and compartmentalization are not skills we deploy to tackle periodic obstacles; they are our way of life.

One scowl, a thousand lashes.

One sigh, two thousand lashes.

One scream, third strike - you’re out.

It’s safer to huddle amongst ourselves, you see, but even that some take offense to.

Just for a moment, in the huddle, I can scowl, sigh, scream all I like.

And when I’m done,

“ok, sisters, are we ready? It’s time to go back.”

Black woman 1 - smile, rise, go high.

Black woman 2- smile, rise, go high.

Black woman 3 - smile, rise, go high.

Tell me,

how do you manifest staying alive?

how do you use positive energy to keep a bullet from your skull?

how do you say, professionally of course, you are killing my spirit?

Please hurry, tell me. I can’t stay down too long.