Art
feature: ‘darkness’ – a poem by binta talla
Writer Binta Talla shares a powerful poem about her dark skin, her pride, colorism and what she went through because of prejudice against people with dark skin.
Here is ‘Darkness’:
While it disturbs you
It empowers me
While it scares you
It encourages me
While it repulses you
It makes me cuter
…
You say that my skin makes me inferior
I reply that it gave rise to a warrior
You add that my skin is too dark
At least, I do not get sun mark
You claim that light skin is better than dark skin
Well, you fail, in your attempt of dividing
…
My darkness does not mean that I grew up poor
Neither does it entitle you to treat me like a whore
Blackness is as sweet as chocolate
Why do you want it to rhyme with tragic fate?
With my darkness, you have feelings, evil or bright
Without my darkness, you are blind, you have no light…
Bee
Many people are ignorant of the impact of their words.
Even if my conscience laughs, my subconscious records, stores without my consent.
And some days, it comes out, still without my consent. And it burns me from the inside. I have feelings of injustice, sadness, anxiety. It tries to impair my goals.
But I swear to myself, it will never stop me.
By Binta Talla, AFROPUNK Contributor (pictured)
https://justbeenow.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/justbeenow/
Photo by Margus Juhansoo @rapustnika
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