milissajoi, age 16
California
I wrote this during a time when I was feeling numb. I wish I could say that I was sad or confused or depressed about life, because that would make this easier. But I wasn’t. I was numb. I was falling into the rhythm of life as a Black girl and I realized I wasn’t living. I was conforming to the flow of life because I felt like I had to. I wrote this poem to disrupt the flow. Because I had to … right?
The Sun and Black Girls
The sun rises in the East
And sets in the West
Because it has to
We’ll rise in the South
Set in the North
Meet you halfway there
I’ll
High-five the scorching sun
And wither away
Melt away
Fade away
From memory
That’s what Black girls do
Because we have to …
… right?