by Rebecca Jimenez
You’re not good enough.
Not white enough.
Not dark enough.
Not good enough to be
With us.
I am not good enough.
Not white enough.
Not dark enough.
Not good enough to be
With you.
You are a dark swan,
Surrounded by white ones.
Or a dark mark
That someone tried erasing,
But is not completely gone.
I am a dark swan,
Surrounded by white ones.
I am the mark
That someone tried erasing,
But it never faded completely.
You are just someone
That is not accepted
By us.
I am someone
The one who is never
Excepted by you.
I want to be accepted.
*2014 Colorism Poetry Contest Division 2 Honorable Mention
About the Poet: My name is Rebecca Jimenez and I live in the south side of Chicago. I grew up mostly in Chicago and in Mexico. After my parents’ divorce, I lived in Mexico with my mother for about 4 years. Then, my mother, my sister and I came back to the US. After a while, my sister and I made the decision to live with my father, and it has been one of the biggest decisions ever. Some of the many obstacles that stood in my way varied from language barriers to being discriminated against in some of my schools. Having my mother in Mexico and myself here in Chicago has been hard, but with the help of my sister (my biggest inspiration), grandparents and teachers, I have overcome these obstacles.