When They See Us

By Esther Lokossou
When society sees us
They want us to have straight hair 
Instead of our luxurious hair with culture, 
When society sees us 
They want us in jail and want us to keep away 
from our world 
from our people 
FROM OUR DREAMS. 
We failed so they can make fun of us. 
For no longer 
No longer kept 
from our world,
from our people. 
We will create with heritage, passion, and love.
No one will take that away from us.