What's Within

Before you open your mouth to speak
You must remember your words are permanent
Your words are like bullets
You can pull them out of your very skin
But the damage still lies within
The sounds of words
Will always scream in your ears
Echoing Echoing
Ringing Ringing
Your skin is a shield
So when it breaks
Get some tape
Don't let them break you
Don't let them shake you
Yet this dark and dim world is so fixed on trying to destroy you
They twist your name with bitter lies and tales
Write your past with hatred in their pen
Spoil your present with their horrid words
And ruin your future by taking away everything
Your pride
Your passion
Your joy
You
If tissues could talk
All the tears they collect
Other people's tears spill
Because of what you said
I may be black
But the girl on my right is white
But it shouldn't matter to me
Because if I was blind and couldn't see
Skin color would mean nothing to me
Don't look at my skin
And think you know what's within

If you couldn't see me
Would you then be my friend
I ask the girl behind me
Could you tell what color I am without being able to see
Yes she says
Because apparently I talk differently
Helen Keller could not see or hear
If you couldn't see or hear
Would that then change your opinion of me
I pledge allegiance to the flag
We all say it everyday
Does that not make us all the same

When you look at me
Make sure you know what you see
Do not label me dark as night
Unless you have sat in the sun with me
Do not label me white as moonlight
Unless you have pulled the blinds shut and locked yourself in
And cried with me while the sunlight flees the day and the stars come out to play
A trojan horse is what skin color is
The greeks were smart enough to know people don't look within
The soldiers inside are your heartbeat
Always beating in surprise
Do not look at my skin
And think you know what's within

Since I'm black
I feel like I have to do certain things
I can't talk right
I can't have rights
But it's 2017
These labels should no longer define me
But no
Because every time a gun is pointed
There's seems to be a black man at the end
Because every time a mug shot flashes on the screen
It seems to be one of my people
Accused of being a thief
Haven't the slave masters stole things from us
Haven't they taken my ancestors life
Stolen my ancestors future
I want my people commemorated for the legacies they create
Not their pictures online for committing crimes or being overweight

For the longest time ever
I believed whatever
Until I realized beauty shines within
Each shade is beautiful
From captivating chalky chocolates to perfectly pretty pales
That skin is only so deep
That if we cut it all off
We'd be the same underneath
That our blood is all the same
Warm red and sticky
That we can stereotype people as long as we want
That we can build those walls
These walls create barriers thick and strong
And those walls will keep one girl from going on
That because of what you said to her
About something she can not change
It could cost her her life
So do think twice

Awww well I'm not white
But I'm still pretty bright
I can speak full sentences
Grammatical correct and right
I dress how I want
It's not to please you
So keep your comments to yourself
Do not call me white
I try and  take pride in who i am
They tell you a million times
Treat others how you want to be treated
Do you want to be labeled
Don't you understand that nothing will change
The barriers will only grow bigger between people 
Snap
The sound of me as I rip the stereotypes apart
I love to walk into restaurants
And be engulfed in the cultures
The rich strong smell of spices takes me around the world
The true authentic taste tingles in my mouth
The color of my skin
Should be something of appreciation
Not something of dictation
Not my Achilles heel
Do not look at my skin
And think you know what's within