No longer will our dreams be deferred
No longer will our words go unheard
No longer will our beauty be distorted
Or our excellence go unnoticed

This is a notice that we will no longer be oppressed
Our words will no longer be repressed
Now I’ve noticed how impressed you are
By the clever ways we express ourselves

I know, It must be tempting
A replica of our greatness, you’re attempting
To no avail, no matter how hard you try
You try to bring us down

But we will rise
And rise relentlessly
Till we’re where we’re meant to be
sipping nectar on our thrones

See, we’ve already got our crowns
Watch as they curl and twirl
Look at them bougie and bounce
Isn’t it magnificent?

Like how our skin illuminates
Golden in the rays of the sun
Glistening in the light of the moon
Shimmering

Like the riches taken from our homeland
The stolen silver
The sparkling diamonds
The sparkle in our eyes

The spark in our touch
Is from the magic running through our veins
Our melanin drives you insane
But our drive to create overcomes our pain

Our elements of expression
Are no match for oppression
Our stories travel through the wind
Our art is shaped from earth

Drowning deep in water yet we produce fire
Our innovations never cease to inspire
Our beauty is not inclined to expire
Our creativity is something that you should aspire to

Our half-notes have been scattered
Our voices have been silenced
Yet still we make our music
And still will sing our songs

The songs we sing are full of soul
Listen carefully to the hypnotic melody
Watch unwaveringly
As we dance to the tune of our endless possibilities

Take a look
Into the depths of our eyes,
At our juicy lips,
At the sway of our hips

Fascinating and phenomenal
Regal and revolutionary
Our excellence does not shock me
For we descend from royalty

Under our rule
Astounding treasures are obtained
While we reign
Astonishing achievements are made

So, you see,
Our dreams will not be raisins in the sun
They will grow into fruitful trees
Undeniably beautiful, and undisputedly excellent.

END

Sally Deen
Sierra Leonean

Sally is a sophomore at George Mason University, where she is pursuing her BFA in Creative Writing with a Minor in Film & Media Studies. She is the Executive Editor of Volition, GMU's Undergraduate Literary Journal. She is the 2021 GMU Black Artist of the year. She has recited original poems at GMU's Black Excellence Gala for two years in a row. In addition to her love of poetry, Sally aspires to become a novelist and screenwriter.

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