Louis Brown

At a first glance, what do you see?

A feminine stature, and a complexion of tea?

Though it is true, it is more than what it seems

Sort out the sediments, let’s look deep

White as the forearms of the colonial Frenchmen

Indigo Black as African and Indigenous skin

Burgundy Blood Red, symbolic of blood shed onto cotton picked

And onto skirts and stockings ripped

Of the house help, little girls, and slaves

That created the creole ethnicity in the first place

Turmeric Orange, yes very specific

If you try to use another orange, my exact shade you won’t get it

White like the magnolias that grow on the trees

Indigo Black like the soil after a storm leaves

Burgundy Blood Red as the blush powder for my cheeks

Turmeric Orange as the 7:52 pm Summer Sunset over the Mississippi

Indigo Black like the top crop paid with colonial fares

White as the cotton used to clothe my skin bare

Burgundy Blood Red like the uniforms I used to wear

In elementary school, so many fundamental life skills I learned there

White like the sugar processed from sugar cane

Burgundy Blood Red as my favorite spice, Cayenne

Turmeric Orange as the sunset that recharges my melanin

Creating convection currents underneath my skin

To boil and bind the elements

To perfection creating the complexion that is Louis Brown

And coils that spiral from the roots of the crown

Reflecting the complexity of the unique DNA

White as the whites of my eyes

Indigo Black as the pupils inside

Burgundy Blood Red as my cheeks after I cry

Turmeric Orange as my cheekbones natural highlight

At a deeper look into the hues in-between

The depth of the tones is far beyond what you see

A culmination of various traditions and rich history

Created the luxurious, Louis Brown complexion of the creole girl that is Me