Blue Line
Something about our people
Always bleeds
black & blue
Whether in the
Hearts of our projects
The pains of our songs
The spectrum of skin tones
Our nail beds
Of north faceless winters
And now throughout tunnels
Our sweat wasn’t valuable enough
To make affordable
As if
Those are automatic color tones
That fill from the backs of our cars
And how eyes leave
Paddy wagons
Or if you’re lucky
Your Masters
Summa Cum Laude
From Howard
Like
Vanilla wasn’t good enough
In its natural state
And Walmart
Is our savior
Like given the choice
Blue eyes
Would be of preference
Of those too tired
Of being beaten black
But is it really
Such a terrible experience
To be
Black
And having most colors
Compliment that fact
There’s a story behind each
Since Black
Is all encompassing anyway
I guess blue’s is so heavy
Cus that’s how I’ve felt all day.
Breaking the Cycle
Everything’s always shinin’ from the outside
But have you thought about how it’s gotten that way
Maybe via the healing properties of
Apple cider vinegar
Or a few thousand extra likes
For your psyche
But how often do we acknowledge
Generational trauma
Or the dysfunction
Of our family unit
And actually
Look to find healing
ItÃs important
When talking about self-esteem
And conquering
Identity crisis
Cus it’s been a long road for me
And it’s one that’s eternal
But I’m on the right path
And know who I am
I’m really more excited to meet
Who I’m becoming
So She can meet others
Who drift
Off their path and onto others
Who suffer
From a path previous traveled
And onto their own
Of divinity.
Kaela Mitchell is a multimedia artist born April 4, 1995, in the District of Columbia. She finds peace in expression through poetry, photography, dancing, and film making. Her work is dedicated to the mental health of the Africana diaspora, and has established a brand with this mission called A Black State of Mind.
