How can I explain to you What is within me? I am African I am American I am both And I am neither I am something And I am nothing And yet…I am everything. But I cannot be like you Trust me. I’ve tried. You say “Welcome back” Like my roots are in this soil But how can I explain to you? Yes. My body originated here. But not my soul. No. My soul was born in the arms of Mama Africa She is not the ancestor of my skin But of my spirit And my roots run deep in her red earth Her drumbeat, my hear. Yet here I am… I look like you. I sound like you. But I am not like you. And when I try to explain What I’ve seen And done And known And how I became You feel as though I am big And you are not. But it isn’t true. I am not bigger. You are not smaller We are just…different. I contain a vastness That is misunderstood That vastness holds so much Yet often feels so empty. And I cannot be like you. Trust me. I’ve tried. But when I do it feels like chains Shackles of iron I try to deepen my roots For you. But when I try I can only seem to spread my wings And I am sorry. I am sorry that I cannot make my home in you. I am sorry that I make you feel small. I do not mean to. I am sorry I cannot find the words to explain What it is like To feel as though your skin is too tight for your soul To feel as though you are always Nowhere and Everywhere Nothing and Everything No one and Everyone Too much…and never enough I am sorry. But I am trying. So when I try… When I share with you these tangled feelings When I crack open the door To the whirlwind within Do not ask me to shut it. Please, do not ask me to hide away Because you cannot relate to the chaos behind my eyes. Don’t see the mess. See me. And love me. For the mystery that I am. To you. And to myself.