The Charcoal Flame

Written by: Ameera Khurram

All my life, I have been denied.
Disowned, disgraced, and deprived.
My skin color has stripped me of opportunities and chances.
Standing out among the masses.
And while you stand safely on the ground,
We are tossed into the hungry waves of the sea until we drown.
And while you bask in the glow of the world’s spotlight,
We are shunned away to wither in pure darkness.
Worthless

But somewhere inside this inky pool of misery, there is a spark.
Adding to the kindling, ablaze in my heart.
Those hurtful words they spat at me feeding the flame.
Growing wilder, raging harder, until they are no longer tame.
Shifting, shrouding, snaking.
What emerges is fierce and bold.
This time, the fire isn’t red or gold.
This time, the fire is a seething shadow.
The Charcoal Flame, no doubt.

You want me silenced, left unspoken.
And though you will try, I won’t be broken.
We all walk on the same ground.
We share the same planet, wrapped in clouds.
Yet, we have let our pride build walls of division.
Walls so tall and thick that they have obscured our vision.

So all people of colors and characters shall come together, the only solution.
To watch these walls burn and build a substitution.
A New Revolution

Sometimes, we must let things burn to let something better rise from the ashes.
Together, we will heal, sealing our wounds, cuts, and gashes.
While tongues of white-hot flames flicker, black ones will dance with them, too.
And our beliefs will stand solid and true.
Let us forget about our past prejudices, judgements and greed.
For all that matters is the way we lead.
We have been blinded for far too long.
But each of us matter, we all belong.
Stand Strong