“Black Body Beauty” – a poem by Nikai Mackie

Black Body Beauty

This black body is sacred 
This black body is kind, soft 
This black body is made of cocoa butter, sweet hibiscus, and lavender leaves
This black body is the closest thing to godliness you will ever encounter 
This black body is exhausted 
This black body is not a political statement 
Stop making black bodies a f***ing political statement
This black body is terrorized 
This black body is scared
Scared it will just become another hashtag 
Scared it might not make it through another day, of living 
This black body is not a weapon 
This black body is not a weapon 
This black body is not a weapon 
This black body is strong 
This black body’s soul will live forever 
In the streets this black body decays in 
In the hearts this black body loves
In the music this black body lost herself in 
In the world this black body was hated in 
Because this black body is resilient 
And her resilience will be passed down to her unborn child 
And her unborn children’s, children 
When this black body finally lays for rest
And the world is finally quiet 
This black body will know her life mattered

Original work by Nikai Mackie, Y-WE Youth

Featured art by @dgartstudio

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