My love,
I prayed this day would never come
But you’re old enough to understand
And now your skin shines even brighter in the sun
So today we must talk
Even if it fills me with pain
Let us talk about the paths you’ll walk
And I must warn you
After this, you’ll never look at life the same
Still I must take your innocence
And teach you to be aware
I must teach you to be brave
But to still have fear
For the world we live in
My child, for you, it has no care
You are already sentenced
You are already doomed
You were born broken
A life to be filled with gloom
You will never be great
For that is your predestined fate
This and more you’ll hear
More and less refined
But don’t you ever believe it!
If you want, you can touch the sky
With this skin that I gave you
Take the world by surprise
Let your truth forever stand
And into ashes, burn their lies
You may be treated as less than
But always remember that your worth is great
Far greater than the earth’s copious sand grains
You may even feel small
And possibly ashamed
But if you remember nothing else that I’ve told you
Remember that God knows your name
In your blackness, stand tall
Wear your afro and be proud
Don’t ever be afraid to stand out in the crowd
And if a time comes where you must speak out
Don’t be silent
Use your voice
Like a canary, sing for what is right
But do be wise in choosing your fights
For you, the world isn’t safe
And far more than you
I am afraid
Still, when you’re out of my sight
I’ll cover you with a prayer
And hope you remember your mother’s words
Now go, my love
And be free