Black man
Innocuously named, eponymously framed life
Melanin pigment in my skin
Within the lenses of my glasses, I envision autonomy

Black spirit is colorful
For me, I was taught that it was black or
white
White as in this is how I talk, this is how I’m supposed to walk
“Rap, go to the league, or die trying”

I found that blending into a snowstorm
Was just as demoralizing as bending backwards to be “black”
Black spirit isn’t uniform, and I don’t need my insignia to be etched in it
To make a name for myself in light of it

Black is beautiful
Black spirit IS autonomy
Blackness means influence along with nuance
To evoke black spirit

Target on my back because I’m black, surely
But I aim for who I say I am first, foremost
Treacherous, troubling troupe of token
Takes a toll on individuality

I won’t let salt or black quilts
Make blanket statements about who I am
Because who I am, what I do, and how I think
Evokes black spirit