Black, White, Yellow, Red.

Who am I?

I'm the child who walked the lines between black and white;

Yellow and red.

No where child. No one's child.

But I found a place;

In the voice of the girl, who opened her arms, offered her friendship,

Invited me into her home, her life.

She cried when words were thrown to break me.

Her tears, her voice, gave me shelter in the storm. Helped me grow. Space to belong.

A space where colour didn't matter.

TO THAT CHILD.

A forever friend. I colour her yellow.

Not good enough for their school.

Stupid. You don't belong.

The bad words. The language of hate.

You will never be one of us.

Nothing.

Within me, the storm grew, power came.

I learned. Language flowed. Prose.

Top student to a teacher who saw beneath the skin.

Wise Man. I colour him purple.

Time passes. Good, bad, sad, sad. Happy. Sad.

A child. My own.

I know love. I know devotion.

I give it all to her.

She gives me strength. Determination.

Baby steps, into the sun, together.

Learning, growing, in world that is there for the taking.

I have a home in her; her in me.

We walk between the lines together.

I colour her green.

I found a path. The less trodden one.

A mountain.I climb. I climb.

The path is straight, to the top.

Not a stumble until;

Choices to be made.

Top school; State school.

Right name; wrong name.

Face fits. Nothing fits.

Out.

A saviour. Sees something missed by all.

Possibility. Potentially.

In. I colour him blue.

Who am I?

I'm the woman who crosses the line between black and white.

The horsehair wig; the flowing robe.

Who am I?

I'm the child who walked the lines between black and white;

Yellow and red.

No where child. No one's child.

I am black, white, yellow, red.

The power lives in me. Borne of the embattled men and women who walked this road before.

I live, I breathe. I dream. I succeed.

Born and raised, colour blind.

To speak in whispers; to take what was given.

But now I see. Now I know. I am the power and the hope.

I am black, white, yellow, red. Feel the rage. The hurt. Hear me roar: No more.

I colour me.

Me.