The Unapologetic Address 
By Hannah Hattie McBean

Ahem-Ahem-Ahem-Ahem 
Skin'n and grin'n
Go on and skin that grin

Teeth shine bright at my majestic brown
Slopes, hills and crevices
Lips thick- covered in scarlet
Meet the microphone -And
Opens the gate of many waters

Talk that Talk Sis
Speak it --that Royal -Release it
Queen status-An eloquent disposition 
She clears her throat... 

"Our children our babies 
Viewed as animals 
My beautiful earth tones--attacked
By their own --Hunted by descendants 
Of former slave owners --those ghosts are enjoying that
My timeline of injustice 
Acknowledged by those with my hue
A few speckles of allies hold true
'Go back to speaking on
Green gardens, flowers growing 
Bicycle rides, your cute black children playing -sports'
Yet reality won't let me ignore
The twisted legality of hate
That makes you snore
Negative - I will not cooperate
With the Privileged's desire
To cover their eyes while tapping their walking sticks
Grip your cryptic hearts 
Let your vessels burst
As truth rolls from my tongue 
Irrigating through -tunnels of darkness 
Kill that fake smile 
That hypnosis created
Of laughing over that morbid decaying -Elephant in this room 
I will not skin and grin
Go on and Skin that grin "

Ahem-Ahem-Ahem-Ahem 
She clears throat and exits...