The New Me (Open To A New Title) Poem by Tasmond Johnson

Forget being afraid
Forget being scared
Yes I dared
To be
Above your negativity
So what do you see?
Besides my African American beauty
Is your stubbornness a hindrance?
Is it making you too blind to see?
To see
My suddenly profound bravery
I am above the clouds of shame you once held so high above my head
You are beneath my feet
Like the ground
I walk upon your stupidity
Open your eyes and your mind
And tell me
What you see
Is it myself new found self assurance
Or is it that fact that I have regained my dignity
Are you angry?
Are you mad?
Because you lost the power you once had?
I am no longer
Worried about your thoughts
Or approval
This woman you see standing before you
Is much stronger
I have forgotten the fear
Yes I dared
To be me
Maybe one day
You’ll hang your ignorance in your closet
And try on a new appearance
Then
And only then
You’ll finally see