if found.

if found.

5’3. 5’5 on a good fro day. she’ll pull up smelling like the J she just smoked, thinking her cheap perfume masks it. wrong. she has a playlist for every mood, moment and milestone, because music has saved her life. it sings what she can’t say.

if found.

you’d never know she still thinks shes the nerdy, chunky, wild-haired, Jehovah’s Witness new kid who couldn’t go to birthday parties, play sports or flirt with a guy to save her life.

if found.

she’s always tired but runs from rest like it’s chasing her. shawty may be short, but her drive is is six. feet. tall. she’s a hugger, a hustler, a healer. creator. sister. daughter. survivor. loves her curves, depending on the day, mirror, camera angle, outfit or simply how the light hits. hides but secretly wants to shout. to share. to shed.

if found.

she’s running from a past filled with reminders that she wasn’t enough. the curls she used to hate are now her safety blanket. a part of her that says everything without uttering a word. black. bold. just how she likes her coffee even though real ones know she drinks tea daily because it pairs perfectly with her other favorite herbs.

if found.

she’s smiling, even with the weight of the world resting easy on her shoulders. she’s in thoughts deeper than her conditioner, which is why she just missed her exit…#passengerprincess

if found.

ask her if she head that new Premo, Cleo, KAYTRANADA, or Khruangbin.

ask her if she wants to go to yoga, walk on the trail or has a trip planned.

ask her if she’s learning, healing, planning or plotting.

the answer is always yes.

if found.

welcome. this is not your average anything.

This poem was done as a part of a creative writing workshop with Books and Brown Sugar Co.