My Hair
Growing up I always wanted to fit in
It was hard to be the only person with brown skin and thick curls
I stood out with my full Lips and hips
I wasn’t the object of a man’s desire.
Diversity was a concept unknown to me
So I tried to blend in…
I avoided the sun in order to not risk getting any darker. I hide the curves of my hips with baggy jeans
Flat ironed my curls letting my hair become silky smooth
I changed my whole soul to blend in with those.
Everything was all good until the day I turned 22
My hair began to thin and break off
My body begin to take on shape
My lips could never be hidden
My golden complexion began to fade
I stared in the mirror and could not recognize the woman staring back at me.
So I listened to music to set my mind free,
Began to rebuild my emotional disconnect from the self-hatred of my skin and curls.
From the natural curls to the thickness of my strands
To the natural look of a big Afro to the flat ironed beauty
I am proud of who I am
My hair shows my ethnicity
My lips speak with truth
My eyes have been the windows to my soul
The tears I cried
The pain I have witness
I can attest to this
Sorry India Arie I am my hair
For I am
Multifaceted multicultural all wrapped in emotions built together
by the strands of my hair I stand strong
I am brown beautiful and strong
~Anastasia~