Brown Pretty Girl
(For Sib.)
I have always seen you shine, pretty Brown girl.
I have always basked in the warmth of the glow of the light as it reflects off o’ your pretty brown skin, and
The gleam of your smile fills my heart with joy, and
The kink of your curls makes my body wanna bounce.
Bounce baby, bounce bounce!
I see you.
Shine.
Brown pretty girl.
Hey you, pretty Brown girl, I see you. I see you!
Hey you, pretty Brown girl,
I see you in the light, and I also see you in the dark.
I see you shine, sure, and I also see you doubt.
I see you when you doubt yourself ’cause all-we-all-always-only-ever get to see is
All these UGLY images of
All these UGLY dark girls, and
Airbrushed images of fair, thin maidens-in-distress.
Helplessly waiting for a man,
So that they may finally have worth.
No.
Just, no.
Shine.
Kids even celebrate your ugliness:
U-G L-Y you ain’t got no alibi! You ugly. What what! You ugly! Yo’ mamma said!
(Repeat ad nauseum).
Even in Black films and svelte R&B videos, but most certainly in pop –
Only light skin girls gotta have it.
Pop music, pop films, pop videos, pop ads, pop magazines, and
Pop rap music, and
Popular chicks in school -
Too often the dark and ugly girl represents everything bad!
Hopeless.
Pretty Brown girl, you’re not ugly, they are for thinking so!
Your worth ain’t there, and ain’t theirs, naw way!
Shine.
I see you when boys pass you by for that light skin chick with long hair, and
Heaven help her if she got light eyes, and
Lawd help her if she thick!
“There she goes…”
Thick up top, and thick out back — thick!
Calling all thick Sweet Rhode Island Red-bone chickens to the yard!
“Like waterfalls your hair falls down to your waist!”
You know how much girls pay for that thickness, pretty Brown girl!?!
No-no, no one can afford your soul, regardless of how deeply, cheaply others may choose to peddle theirs!
Dark ugly girls are the mainstay of popular culture, the antithesis of Becky wit’ the good hair.
Everything bad about the world.
Even Precious said it, ‘just a smear to be wiped away.’
But don’t you worry ‘bout a thing, brown pretty girl.
Don’t you worry ‘bout a thang.
Shine.
