softness. in black skin.

*

our lips / made to touch / brush against / linger in / press upon / with closed eyes / seeing you / and our tomorrows / if we live / we want to live / in this black skin / this beautiful black skin / that mama said, “is beautiful” / daddy said, “is power” / this skin that takes too much / that looks too hard / so hard in fact, / it never seems soft / to them / but we know better / that we only love / hard