Friday, January 13, 2012

poem by Tyffany Richards


Colored

What are you?

Call me colored but I won’t be offended.

Just means to me I’ve got more shading

Than a black and white portrait

Different shades

In one picture

But aren’t you black?

In a way

More like mahogany

Smooth almost dark brown with a red undertone

Not shiny blue black

Brown like the soil

Or tree bark

Like cardboard boxes

Like coffee and milk

Where are you from?

Not here not there

Everywhere

Where are you from?

I’m from many places around the world

But I am from my mother and father and the earth itself

Who are you?

I am me.

Mahogany brown skinned me

Who identifies with everything and everyone

Colored.

Not Black entirely, nor White

Not Asian or Latino

Nor Indian

Not entirely.

Just

Mahogany brown

Colored girl
Congratulations overdue! to Tyffany Richards, for having this poem chosen to be read at the ASAP Celebration of Young Writers at the Washington Town Hall in 2011. The poem was recently recovered and we thank Tyffany for sharing it with us. 

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