This Is Us
Black Skin

i hate those stories
the ones
where women recall
how they once hated
the shade
of their deep dark skin
the same stories
that appear in
Oprah’s documentaries
and characterize
the dark-skinned women
across her network
whenever i hear them
i never understand
how ugly words
can form on the lips
of such beautiful women
i hate hearing them
because
they dig up
old memories
i buried
memories
of when
i wanted…