I am Black Coffee

I am black coffee

with curves of sugar.

I am a spoon of cocoa.
A chocolate church.
I am soul food.
I am sun kissed mahogany skin.

I am a wombed man

The rib of an African king 

The offspring of an Egyptian prince

I am the golden crown of the cosmos.

When you look in my eyes you will see stars falling

like diamonds painting the canvas of evening.

I am light

A spark, a flame, a bonfire, a burning house

I am fire works

I will leave traces of smoke in your nostrils 

so you will recognise my presence when you seek me.

I will shelter myself in your veins just to make your heart beat a little faster.

I am a survivor.

A sunken slaveship. 
I am another inventor ignored because of her skin color.

Another history page erased, deleted, silenced.

I am a black woman with a degree but still looking for a job.
An athlete breaking down barriers and stereotypes.

I am long braids, afro, curls, short, shaved. 

I am dashiki, headscarfs and earrings.

I am music, dance routines, clapping hands.

I am a new generation in the same skin.

I am a female proud of her ancestry. 
I am all of us.