To All the Other Only Black Faces in the Room

To all the other only Black faces in the room
Do you ever tire of being alone in the crowd?
Do you sigh with resignation?
Why must I alone always represent
The African-American nation?

To all the other only Black faces in the room
Eyeing others with melanin traces
Asian, Latino, Iranian, Iraqui
If I expect a genetic connection
Am I being tacky?

To all the other only Black faces in the room
Are you tired of this too?
Wondering why
Is it always only I?

Am I a freak
Because of the company I seek
Not on purpose, but in purpose
Pursing shared goals and dreams
Pushing the limits
Embracing extremes

I’m afraid I just don’t have to aptitude
To represent the negritude
And in spite of the criticism I’ve eschewed
If I say what’s on my mind
Am I being rude?

To all the other only Black faces in the room
Hear me!
In the darkened corners of the Arclight Cinemas
Or the Lammle Sunset Five
Hear me!
In the boardrooms
Here me!
At the Beverly Hills Lingual Institute!
Hear me!
In row D at the Ahmanson
Hear me!
In the first class lounge
Hear me!

Do you resent the need to represent, too?
Wonder if the need is only in you?
Do you try to keep your eyes from scanning
As soon as you enter as if on cue?

Why you trippin’?
This is 2006
Why you trippin’?

You’re an individual
Why you trippin’?

Why
Why
Why you tumbling into Ebonics, yo?

“A-r-e” is a three letter word?
And the “i-n” misses the “g”
That you only use
In White company.

To all the other only Black faces in the room
Do you feel competitive when me meet?
Wherever there is more than one
Do you stealthily compete
To be the elite?

To all the other only Black faces in the room
Shall we gather by the river
Wash the burdens off our backs
Can we ever really release
Color and how it distracts?

To all the other only Black faces in the room
Hear me!
Love what you love
Hear me!
Live how you live
Hold on to your humanity
There is nothing to forgive.