I'm not the girl you'd write songs about
Or even a poem
I'm not the one you'd write home about
Or even mention
I'm not the girl you'd stay up thinking about
Or on the phone with till 2am
You're not going to cry over me
Or read about me in a book
I'm not going to break your heart
Cause you'll never fall
Not for me at least
Cause I'm not the girl

I never think much about the fact that I am black.
I know I am black.
Like I know I am a girl,
Like I know I am an American,
Like I know I am nineteen.
It is a fact; I am black.

I hate when people say I am not.
My parents are black.
Their parents are black.
We are black.
Look at my skin,
It's dark and it's beautiful.
How could I not be black?
I am black.

I hate when people say I don't 'act' black.
How does one act to be considered black?
How am I acting? How is it not black?
Look at my skin,
It's dark and it's beautiful.
How could I not act black?
I am black.

I hate when people say I speak like a white person.
A way of speaking is not exclusive to race.
I am not white.
I do not speak like a white person.
My words are coming out of my black mouth.
I speak properly,
The way my black parents raised me to.
Look at my skin,
Its dark and it's beautiful.
How could I not speak black?
I am black.

I HATE when people say I am a white person trapped in a black body.
I have NEVER heard anything more insulting.
I am NOT trapped.
This color is NOT a cell.
I wear it proudly.
Look at MY skin,
It is DARK and it is BEAUTIFUL!
How could I ever be trapped?
I am black.

I am in no way white,
Nor do I ever want to be.
I am black
And black is beautiful

Sometimes I really want to quit my jobs,
erase all the numbers from my phone,
pack some clothes,
stuff all my savings in my pockets,
grab my camera,
and just
go.

Sometimes I fill half my suitcase.
Sometimes I take all the money out of my account.
Sometimes I wait till the last minute to decide I'm going to work.
Sometimes I leave out of the house, walk halfway down the street without looking back.
I can only ever make it halfway.

I've heard you come out and have been
The past year has been hard
          
Im so scared for the future,
              
please visit
      
Im scared and I love it,
          
I hope you have a lot of fun.
I will not be the best thing about it.
I have to let you know that I love you.

I saw a shooting star once;

No one believed me.
But the next day,
Around four that afternoon,
My wish came true.

It came in a small voice
From a small body
Softly spoken but loud
Excited words
Flying from every direction.

It can with tears,
From my eyes
And smiles so wide.

It all came in a three minute conversion,
From a phone thousands of miles away.
One of the best I'll ever have.

And even though they say
It was a coincidence
A wonderful one
To me, it was a wish come true.