I've often wondered
if you've ever viewed yourself as other
than that which threw off the rest of the picture.

We carry the ghost of who we were
on our backs, over whatever oceans we cross.

(A small brown boat bobs
on a froth-white sea.)

I know you've felt alone,
but there is nothing solitary under the sky,
and you will rise up one day to greet it.

02/07/2007

Author's Note: My friend asked me to write a poem for her birthday. She says she has low self-esteem because she comes from a wealthy black family and grew up surrounded by white people, so she never felt like she belonged.

Posted on 02/08/2007
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