An Evolutionary Envy

I originally wrote an old poem in 2008

A man once asked me, "Do I wish I was white?"

As Black Lives Matter Banner Crept across the screen,

No Shit, hear this caged bird scream

I worked hard for years to rise to the top

I worked through the pain, the misery, even shoveled pig slop

As I walked down the road of blood and tears

It never occurred to me that it's my skin they fear

Not my smarts or my looks; it didn't even matter that I read all their books

My beautiful black skin, so dark, so tough

Yet it holds a beauty that they envy so much

It has withstood the lashes of the whip, the crack of a rope

Not once undermining our hope

My beautiful skin is no sin, as they would have me think

It feels better to me than the most expensive mink

I love my skin, and for every reason, you might think

Even though throughout history it has caused a stink

My skin is a badge of honor, so what makes you think

"Do I want to be white?" I asked with a laugh

Not even if you paid me cold hard cash

By Jonas Hughes