Our skin

The color of my skin

Is dirt from grounds that my ancestors walked,

Is a symbol to my family like a neon highlighter I stand out,

This is how I am found.

The color of your skin is pale

You are a banana after it is peeled

You are a symbol of privilege

You are a man and I am woman

Do you know what it’s like to be a Latina in the America ?

The color of my skin

the first thing they see

I wish they’d see my mind

Or how I see the world

Perhaps how I love the sound of waves

Or the green trees

The green trees remind me of home

They bring me peace, they help me breathe

I love the color of my skin

The color of my skin is a symbol,

It’s a Caramel macchiato

and you are a Vanilla bean frappe

It’s always brown vs white

but never brown and white

you don’t look like me

you don’t think like me

or do you ?

are we really so different ?

Are you writing about the color of your skin?

What would our families think ?

I love an American,

I am an American.

The world reacts differently to our skins

My skin is fear

Your skin is respect

The color of our skins

One day our skins will collide

The color of our child’s skin.

What does the world have to say?