"Black Girl"

A poem about my childhood and the results it had on my life in the present.

Copyright © 10 December 2012 by Erin Carkhuff

 

“Black Girl”

 

This child blackened

By the earth

Does not belong to you,

Prevaricator.

You can no longer

Keep her inside

The white lines

Behind

Your color-blind lies.

She has lost more

Than she ever had

The opportunity to Love.

And the truth behind

The color of her skin

Will never rightfully be hers.

Her entire broken-being

Has super glued

Together all the jagged

Little pieces of fuckery

Never

Good

Enough

To use.

And this is gonna be a good one �"

She can feel it all over her

And under her nails like

The dead skin she

Scraped off of the surface

Trying to be white enough

To look like you �"

To be accepted in the society

She perished in

Her whole entire life;

Trying to blend

Into the white walls

That

Boxed

Her in

As a child �"

Continuing her

Crowded claustrophobia;

Trying to force herself to fit

Like a broken puzzle piece.

Branded by cross-examinations �"

From the Blonde Hairs and Blue Eyes

Who reminded her constantly

That she was a

Black blotched stranger

Dotted on discolored newspaper.

She: The little black girl among white girls.

She:The “Why is your hair so tough” girl?

The “Why is your skin so brown and dark?”

And “Why are you so black, girl?”

Black girl, we want to make you crack, girl

So you can understand

Why you need to turn your back, girl.

That girl?

She lived long enough,

Just to make it out

And now she is wrong for wanting

To live the life of a black girl?

Her unrelated, achromatic kin

Will never match her identically.

And they will never

Hear her screaming

That she will never be back, girl.

One day �"

Maybe they will try to understand

That no matter who she is,

She will never be

That girl.

Reviews

[Guilt]

Wow. The force and defiance in the voice and tone came out well. As an Australian raised citizen, I've never been able to stand amidst the sensitive skin-deep scars of a country's past. Australia has it's own white man history, that still creates tension and fuels stereotypes, but I grew up between concrete and trees, not desert and bush. But the rip of discriminational pressure exists everywhere. Spain's people want to be split in two, some Chinese, along with many other asian people, still resent Japan, and minorities everywhere are constantly reminded that they're still just that; minorities.

Trying to understand these things has always been hard for me. And because of that, my ignorance can be confused with insensitivity. People are ultra-offensive or ultra-defensive. You just can't win. No matter if you're an insider or an outsider of the problem. It sucks for everyone in different measures. So thank you for reminding me of the frustration insiders feel. It encourages sensitivity and understanding. This is a real writer's purpose in my opinion. A great tribute to many who would share the same anguish and trauma, and a great way to introduce yourself on this site. Truly awesome.

- Guilt

[zainul]

To me this is a symbolic work.
Protesting against all kinds of discrimination.
I appreciate your style that captivates readers.

[easybreezy]

I think I've found my new favorite poet! So much emotion goes into your writing.
As a white woman, I can never understand what you've had to endure, but I applaud you for opening up to us through your heartfelt words.

[Erin Elizabeth]

Thank you so much for your feedback ^_^ I really appreciate it. I'm flattered!

[Erin Elizabeth]

Thank you ! :)