People of colour come in all ranges of skin tone
black, tan, yellow, white, bronze and even the darkest purple
We share the same colour tears and  blood and in most cases
the same colour food

As diverse as our colours are
because of it, we lack the
privileges afforded to others

We are harassed, ridiculed,
talked at slowly,
talked at loudly
as if we are ignorant imbeciles from an illiterate island

I miss my mom’s accent but I cannot miss what
I never heard, for her accent to me
sounded like everyone else’s voice
without one

Others heard her accent and treated her 
as if she came from a third world country
not from the god forsaken place she was born to

My mother left a developing country
with an eight grade education
for a better life in America

With that education 
She worked for a higher learning magazine

With that education
She worked for a major publishing company

With that education
She worked for a Dominican  

What I’m trying to say with words
is the same old, same old thang

Don’t judge a book by its’ cover or…
Don’t judge a POC by the colour of their skin

You never know what lingers underneath, 
below the surface, 
behind closed doors, 
safely held close to the heart

Until someone’s
gotta throw shade of the blackest kind at your ignorance self…