Based off the poem ‘Pretty Ugly’ by Abdullah Shoaib
My melanin is ugly
So don’t try to convince me
My ancestors were strong and beautiful
Because at the end of the day
I wish I matched the “skin coloured” crayons
And I’m not going to tell myself
There is beauty inside this skin of mine
I will tell you the honest truth
That it is ugly, weird, and scares my classmates
And no matter how much you try to make me believe
My people deserve love
I don’t agree.
That is what society tells me-
That I am not good enough to be loved
And sure, some people say
Dark skin is beautiful too
But when I see myself I think
Society hates the way I look
My mother once told me
That the white man will never like us
Therefore I don’t believe
Racism can be fought against
If we try and try
Things will only get worse
But if we don’t try
We can relax and accept the way things are
Can melanin ever be respected too?
Is my melanin as ugly as colourism’s view?
Now, read it backwards.