High blood pressure, diabetes
Bad eyes and bad knees
Been working since I could walk
Been silent since I could talk
Ulcers and heart disease
Bad back and aching feet
Raised the generations behind me
In fields of cotton, greens, corn, and peas
I got the weight of the world on my shoulders
No one there to help me
I got nothing to show for it but asthmas and cancer
And just like waiting to exhale
I'm wondering when is it my turn to breathe
I give and give and give too much
My hand is never out to receive
Never have time to sit and watch the beauty that surrounds me
This smile hides pain and wanting
Neediness and longing
This smile masks pity and depression
This smile is a blanket of envy and hatred
This smile covers what is really underneath
Why is nature so turned against me?
Why am I not free?
Why am I the epistemological personification of everything wrong?
The epitome of sin?
The struggles of a Black woman
To love with a hope of love in return
We'll never rest in peace
3hT6|j
