How black is too black?
Should I tan
To make up for the pigment I lack?

How white is too white?
Should I flatten my curls,
Then will I be alright?

Why must I cope with this balancing act?
Careful, not too many big words
Tip the stereotypical scale back to black.

Not enough for some, too much for others
Whose side do I choose this time,
The father or mother's?

It matters too much which race people see
Why can't I just be black or white enough
To make myself me?