I’m not a stranger to the dark,
I’m not a foreigner to being broken,
I’ve been friends with rejection for years,
I’ve lived with discrimination for so long.
I know I’m everyone’s cup of tea,
I’m flaw-ridden and I make mistakes,
I don’t always say the right things,
But though I’m not perfect,
I am who I am,
This is me.
My scars are marks of beauty,
My proclivities make me different, not inferior,
I may not be good enough for you and that’s okay,
But I will no longer apologize for who I am.
I’m fed up of life in the shadows,
I will no longer hide the real me,
I will stand in the light — broken parts, quirks and all,
Because though I’m not perfect,
I am who I am,
This is me.
I am who I’m meant to be,
I’m not a mistake of creation,
And I’m certainly not an afterthought.
I may not be cool enough,
But at least I won’t be fake either.
I am black and I am beautiful,
The world deserves to see me for who I am,
Because whatever else I may be,
I am who I am,
This is me.