I drip in melanin My skin is my oxygen I’m a different type of specimen You can call me African Crucified about my race Unity covered in a sweet taste It’s called African love not hate A bond that I hold onto and appreciate My ethnicity will always work its magic Even though it is defined as tragic It tells people that I’m so called ‘ratchet’ But instead I’m actually nostalgic. I could be experiencing a struggle But I will always find a way to build another muscle To thee unknown this is called the hustle Trying to find ways to stand before you trip and crumble Not by blood but by colour I call them family It isn’t a dream or a created fantasy Neither a fairy-tale nor a catastrophe It’s simply called reality My smile fortified in pulchritude Showcase my happiness with endless gratitude See me amplify my attitude Crucify the feeling of solitude Comfort, I wouldn’t compromise I need you to listen and realize I may not be in heaven but I’m in paradise Leave it at my title, verbalized -Ntombikayise Madlala