“A Poem About Hair,” by Tene’sha Crews
By Tene’sha Crews •
Had Her Hate for Her Hair been cultivated or passed down?
Passed through words like “nappy” and “needing of a perm
Ignoring the monthly visits of that scalp stinging burn
Like first it was grandmother, then mother, now it’s your turn
To gradually detest your natural strands is what you’ll learn
“It’s time for a relaxer”, a word meaning to tame
Sticking up in every which way, wild like a lion’s mane
Or the muffled cries of a child, shielding mother from shame
Her hair had lost its identity, maybe it had a name?
But we’ll never tell because straightened white–I mean, right
It looks the same.
As same as the women from black & white television screens
To today’s colored commercials promising straight with sheen
The Hate of Hair often follow from childhood to teens
Until blind lies covered in chemicals and lye are seen
Only then do they see that their hair naturally crowns them as queens
About
Tene’sha Crews uses activism, poetry and art to encourage people to make a difference in the issues that affect varying communities.
Mightier
By Tene’sha Crews • “The pen is mightier than the sword” A sword that has grown from hate and drawn blood, Blood spilled onto books and the hearts of families … Continue reading Mightier
Perpetual Home
By Tene’sha Crews • I was once told, that my body is my only perpetual home One that I rightfully and eternally supposedly own. A home in which I paint … Continue reading Perpetual Home
It Has Happened Again
By Tene’sha Crews • “It has happened again.” That thought echoes through my mind once more. I close my eyes and I pray. I pray for the family friend that … Continue reading It Has Happened Again
Don’t Forget
By Tene’sha Crews • In the distance burning in the dark I see the flashing red and blue lights And then I think about the color of this paper and … Continue reading Don’t Forget
Black Feminist Collective 