In my Skin

So very tired…of feeling anger

…its acidic taste sears my spirit

The bitter reek of hate, bigotry, bias and

vileness of Racism’s scars…

…on my skin

I watched you Jim Crow and Willie Lynch…

how you tortured my father’s will

beat the strength from his body and

never allowed him…to fathom his dreams

you called him…a grown man “boy”

and sucked the pride from his eyes

…I watched you when…

you made my beautiful mother struggle

…cleaning your antebellum mansions

and wiping your children’s dirty noses

…and your gall to call a grown woman “girl”

…I watched you…

I grew and knew your daily sins

…the vileness of your tongue

the lash of your vicious hatred

I watched you…hurt my skin

…how you sullied my skin…

I watched as brown men

walked with downed head and eyes

…stripped and shamed of their worth

…while you smiled and laughed

in your secret meeting places…

…and I watched…

Families forced to live in poverty’s shame…

in housing projects and dilapidated tenements

…while you smiled and laughed

in your secret meeting places…

Your desecration of generations

weigh heavy on my skin…

…pain berates my skin

…and still…I bear no ill thoughts…

I follow God’s word…I turn my other cheek

…glory in Heaven’s paradise awaits...with love

…where I will bask in joy and peace

…in my skin*

Jon` B. Crenshaw

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