Day 4: Black Boy

You are charisma dressed up in a hueless coat of mail;

Like peering through a slit by the window pane ‘cause someone pulled the shades.

But most especially, you are you.

Dark, lovely, tinted beauty. Quintessentially, you.

You see, I envy that swank;

The way you put the attitude on black,

Like blue on the skyline.

Step to it, bro. It’s aiight!

I see the dark side of a moon

And waves flood my mind with images of you.

Your sensitivity sets the universe in motion;

Your skin tone is my favorite fascination.

I look at you, I see God’s masterplan;

Nature’s own inimitable descriptive tan.

Your charm’s a peek at a divine masterpiece.

The touch of grace on your life is an unfolding I duly commend.

I flip the page to review this centerpiece;

A little more space to etch your image into the surface.

Strength of your courage trips me on the exhale,

How you stuck to the path when it was apparent you’d fail;

How you grappled in anticipation clawing your way up from the grave.

You always held on to that something.

A certain quality which gave you an edge;

You could erect something special from a mound of nix.

I could go on and on how you’re set way up on a ledge,

About your life, your love and, your depth of devotion,

Your passionate selflessness that lights up your complexion.

This is who you are

You ought to take credit for sparking off great adventures of the heart.

You are the marvel of a black generation,

A genuine brother who set a worthy cause in motion.

I feel your rhythm as the vibes feed your veins.

And it’s only natural this level of badness never decays.

Its properties guard the memory of its hero;

Death and destruction are outmatched against it as rust on gold.

How could anyone ever imagine putting chains on you?

My D’Jango unchained. Trailing clouds of glory you arrived

Enveloped in eclipse, kitted up in finest silk of midnight.

And then you have the reputation of being uniquely African:

Intelligent, genuine attitude, and going strong cause you can.

Family before business, blood over money, death before dishonor,

A concrete institution, functional enterprise who never flunks expectations.

You bring a whole new twist to determination,

Hitting it off each time and picking off competition

Like green bottles on the wall.

You possess the greatest life of all.

This is who you are;

A black boy who commands the sum of his parts,

A diamond that discharges an uncanny aura.

Yeah, I see where you’re coming from;

I see your journey lead through pain and a sad song,

I’m a witness to the sacrifice of the prodigal;

How they hauled you away trussed, how you struggled.

I still hear the voices scorn could not altogether strangle.

I know the battles you gatto stand up to,

The everyday tough decisions you gatto make,

And the ingenuous promises you gatto make good.

You’re always on top of the game give or take.

The one sensational, unique black brother.

You exhibit panache to take the fight a step further.

You’re a wonder, a history-maker but above all, a black boy.

You’re a man with every right to live large and free

The emblem of freedom and nobody’s toy.

Rise on the wings of that knowledge and breathe.

Black boy the tint with a dint of personal eruptions,

Take it to another level, watching you succeed is such fun.

Mount up like a tidal wave,

Seize the moment like dusk claims the day.

You are who you are and you shouldn’t change that.

A person of color and explicitly dark.

You look good.

Damn if it don’t feel good talking about you.

The allegoric nightfall.

Personification of home, family, rest and love.

God must have had a hard time making up his mind

When he brushed you up in a shade of gray.

Go ahead, take the stage. Unleash your dignity and ride,

You deserve it, you made the grade.

Akpan