Black Woman

high and mighty 
sick and tired
angry and bitter

I am not, I cannot be.

perhaps I have not lived, but angry I will not be.

Anger is a great motivator, occasionally healthy.
a heaping spoonful of Bitterness to follow.

but there’s no strength in that.

there’s no growth in that.
there is nothing to be had when
Anger is your primary weapon, Bitterness second.

No, anger is not the peaceful protest.
No, bitterness cannot prove someone wrong. 

Anger is being upset at something you failed to plan for.
Bitterness is being stuck and passing love by because he hurt you.

Anger is pretending that nothing is there.
Bitterness tolerates the ignorance of those who say nothing is there.

Angry and bitter

I am not, I cannot be.

Upset? Maybe
Disappointed? Sometimes
Saddened? At times
Troubled? Occasionally

All fixable and temporary.
Usually found in the woman who
Works,
Nurtures,
Observes and
Points out. 

Anger is absent from her work.
Anger cannot nurture her young.
Anger does not allow the clarity that’s necessary to point out and observe.

I am upset at being considered the
Lesser, the
Other, the
Used, the
Abused.

But my will is stronger than the anger you associate me with.

I am disappointed about being taboo,
Being
A mule
Being
Sexualized
Being
Saddity
And having my womanhood defined by one or the other

But my will is stronger than the anger you associate me with. 

I am saddened that I am still
Killed
Beaten
Raped
Mutilated
And disrespected by 
Someone who looks like me 

But my will is stronger than the anger you associate me with

It troubles me to know that I’m only strong when I’m ugly and angry.
Acting beautiful and being classy is only a sexual fantasy.


I can only be ugly and strong or beautiful and classy
Somehow I’m always ugly…

But my will is stronger than the anger you associate me with