Memo to a Black Woman I Know

You are

magnificent, beautiful,

magnetic majesty,

magnanimous, poetic,

magical alchemy

 

You are

radiance, radical energy

and grace-amazing,

spontaneous, valuable synergy,

outpace-appraising

 

You are discreetly cared for

as one who soothes scars,

the secret shared with

the sun, moon and stars

 

You are life, and light

and larger laughter,

rife with fight,

regarded rapture

 

You are

the knowing look

that knows of brutal reality,

the glowing brook

that grows the fruitful family tree

 

You are not

the hateful screams of the heartless

you are not the hurtful schemes of the artless

 

You’re not of the words

they’re wielding as weapons,

you’ve got songbirds that yield sonic blessings

 

You are a blessing.

You are the magic.

You are impressing.

You are fantastic

Your soul’s refreshing.

Your worth’s galactic

 

Never forget

you’re a love stream; a fateful fountain

cutting through seams of hateful mountains.

** *

Written for a friend of mine who had vile racism visit her at work tonight in the form of a hateful, insulting customer. Don’t let it beat you down. We got this.