ACCEPT ME PLEASE
I may be small, I may be thin,
You only ever judge me by the colour of my skin.
You laugh at my beliefs, you laugh at my scarf,
You always try to ruin my very own path,
You only gimme sorrow, you only gimme hate;
My life’s a mess, just look at my state.
Why not help me? Don’t criticise another,
Yeah, don’t be a hater, try being a lover.
There is nowhere to go, nowhere to turn,
Only go to school ‘cos I just wanna learn.
I may be brown; I may be black,
Ruining my books and ruining my rucksack.
I only want a good life, so lend me the keys;
I’m always beggin’, yeah, beggin’ on my knees.
You only love all discrimination,
Me crying is all a celebration.
I’m brown, you’re black, she’s mixed, he’s white,
Just lemme see diversity — put it in my sight.
You only ever laugh, you only ever tease,
I’m a human too, so accept me please.
We all come to poetry at different stages in our lives. For some it happens in youth, and offers a way of explaining the chaos of emotions that beset teen years. For others, it’s a form of relaxation when a job becomes too stressful or a young family too demanding. It may arrive as a new interest pursued in retirement. Then again, we can be involved from the day we learn to read and write.