Curls Poppin'

This one goes out to all of my natural girls

since before they said your curls was poppin'.

Before the TV met the Wifi,

you had barely just begun

so there was no way they could tell you to start stoppin'.

To all of my little babies that have a Chaka Khan on the inside of them

but you're too scared to rock that fro...

Don't you know?

The fro is where all Black Girl Magic

comes to live and grow!

Don't you know?

The fro is what they were looking for

when they went somewhere over the rainbow.

Don't you know?

We eased on down the road and found it first!

Like pot of gold at the end of said rainbow.

Like Africa, to America, to Plymouth Rock,

They bet not Columbus you out of that too!

Don't let no jealous fool or tongues of clowns

call your crown "nappy" for doing what it's supposed to do.

Hair so thick, the secrets of the Earth

are trapped inside of it

keeping necessary things in

and unnecessary people out.

No, you may not touch my hair.

Yes, I said that with a smile.

Contrary to popular belief,

I am not angry black woman.

I am Mikhaella, first of her name,

keeper of Black Girl Magic,

Birther of Black Boy Joy,

Builder of strong Black man

worker of Black woman hands, and abs, and thighs, and back

and too Black,

and too bold,

and too proud

to beg

to sit at your table,

if said table is labeled "assimilation"

where your cup runneth over with forced perms and prejudice.

PLEASE!

I am too Queen,

too self-asserting,

too Bible believing,

too Jesus loving

to not see said table...and flip it.

You can dip it multiple different ways

the fact still remains,

this Black is as beautiful as the day I found it.

Like when that first curl started to come through!

Ya'll, I was 22 before I knew what I even looked like.

And that's why this goes out to all my natural girls

since before they said your curls was poppin'.

To my 4C Mrs.,

my wavy haired sistahs,

my product junkies,

deep conditioners,

and all my long-suffering transitioners,

Here's to you:

for proving that Black girls do swim,

we just gone turn that into a wash-n-go later!

To you:

for taking the dread

out of the locs.

To you:

for no longer getting confused when people say,

"Your hair is short"

because either it is, and you're rocking that too,

or that's your magical chance to say,

"Naw, see this here is called 'shrinkage' boo!"

See, my hair can lay at the nape of my neck

or extend past my spine

in a matter of 2.5

so try me now in this

and see if I don't open up my cabinets

and rain down showers of coconut oil

for which you do not have room enough to receive.

Got me singing like,

"She's your Queen to be!"

Hair so lovely, don't you agree?

Sexual chocolate!

Hair so kinky,

Beyoncé flawless.

Curls stay poppin'.

Life stay flossin'.

Traffic stoppin',

shoulder boppin',

head noddin',

knee knockin',

and body rockin' fabulous!

Single lady no more.

Grandma asks,

"Are you gonna do your hair before you walk out that door?"

...DONE!

We are the only ones whose natural hair

defies the natural laws of gravity

and lifts towards the sky.

Genetically built to rise and shine with pride.

Grandma, you can't hide this glow!

Don't you know?

The fro is where all Black Girl Magic

comes to live and grow!