i am black . . i am colorful

i am black . . i am colorful

i am not only black

i am colorful

no, i am not in denial

and i will not be denied

any more to speak out

for i have no doubts

what so ever

of how beautiful i am

how divine i am

how fine i am

for i am

you see,

i say that i am colorful

for i am a composite

of all the colors

my attributes are a collection

of the best of all things

the essence of all things

i was called the dark one

for i was

and continue to be

too deep to be understood

men in sheets

and white hoods

could not

and can not stop my shine

and though my history threatens you

it is still mine

from the Mesopotamia valley

to that sweet berry named Halle

i am diverse

and my variegated color

is not a curse

for i am the unique one

of this universe

bondage was nothing for me

for the soul of who we are

has always been our divinity

from Hannibal to basketball

we stood

and we still stand tall

and though we may have fallen at times

we get back up

and that has always been our specialty

and our ability

is to endure

and overcome

and that is the creed of our life

through all the oppression

suppression

repression

regression

depression

and

aggression

and still

we are pressing

to brighter days

creating a new way

in our own colorful ways

and this is what i says

as does creation

i am not only black

i am colorful

© January 2011 : William S. Peters, Sr.