STANDARDS

They said You've got weeds growing in your hair A web of tangled dandelions a mess on your head A picture of confusion this is not what beauty is straighten your hair Your face is the colour of the ground I walk on Your beneath me Your skin needs the colour of the crystals made on Our seashores I was ashamed made to believe I'm unworthy not as deserving For a black kid like me I had to agree See what they see Change a lot of me To fit their narrative And be accepted in Never lower your standards down Never lower your standards down Never lower your standards down Never lower your standards down I put aside my heritage Leaned into their privilege Subdued my personality So I could make them comfortable Make myself approachable So I could make some friends And meet their standards My face is the colour of the ground I walk on Why would they see me My skin bleeds red like every other human But this dark shade makes me threatening An easy target For a black woman like me I'm standing up for my needs I'm beyond what they think of me I'm not changing for nobody I'm not just a word in their narrative I'll fight for my right to be seen as equal If not for me I'm doing it for my kids