Dark, am I Not Lovely?

“Beauty, to me is about being comfortable in your own skin.”-Gwyneth Paltrow

Mahogany, Chestnut and golden brown

Skin like the midnight sky,

Skin blessed by the vibrant sun.

“You would look prettier if you were a shade lighter”

“It’s going to be tough finding a bride for you, with your dusky complexion”

Haldi reluctantly smeared on my Melanin blessed skin.

Taught to hate the sun, and believe that my skin represented dirt and filth,

I wondered if I would ever fit in.

Fairness creams and bleach replaced my confidence and worth,

Every time I look at the mirror, words like kaali and jokes on my earthy skin tone appear.

Light skin gets the job, which the flashy advertisements never fail to etch

And thus I turn to the ‘promising’ creams, hoping the gig I get.

Is it really fair?

My golden skin ridiculed, my tone considered a flaw,

My intelligence and compassion overlooked, only because I am brown.

We have been created in different tones and hues,

Who ever thought that the pigment of our skin was an issue?

I am dripping honey, I am the nautical dusk,

I am strong and elegant all at once.

I wear my skin like armour, that glistens and shines in the sun.

My coffee infused skin represents my supremacy and power

I am dark, I am lovely.