Friends,

how many of us have them

times when tragedy strikes

and the homie you expect

is nowhere in sight?

Everybody loves the sunshine,

especially this baldie queen

straight outta chemotherapy

I’m learning to stop comparing

the self I am today

with the self I was yesterday.

Beauty standards are not for anyone’s protection,

nor are smiles because you’re supposed to be polite.

It is a losing strategy to be polite.

One day when I was walking,

walking to the fair,

I ran into some trauma,

almost took me out of here.

Zzzzzz zzzzzz buzzing,

the 1 am “Hey big head” texts from tempting ex-boyfriends threatening abstinence.

“It takes consistency to be with me,” they say,

then pray the Rose of Sharon won’t mind

And frankly, I’m tired

of being “hard as hell” like LL,

would hate to get shot like 2Pac,

and I’m way too private

to yap about my WAP.

It’s lonely as hell here.

Words don’t just

up and abandon you

the way people do.

Sir,

I admit that I joked more than twice

that you only have two facial expressions:

surprised and resigned.