i no longer flinch when they
say that lighter skin is more beautiful
when they say im exotic like im
an animal in a zoo to look at
this is my story

the defeat i hear in my dads voice
as he talks about the comments they left
under the article about something he
had pride for years before
this is his story

the light i see fading from my sisters eyes
huge beautiful lamps suddenly powering off
as she finds out what they say she
cannot do what they say she
is not
this is her story

the pain i feel whenever
i hear laughter over a weird sounding name
or read what they wrote behind the safety of
the screen mocking me
even the whispers that follow us where we go
is our story