There’s never an easy time to be a woman;
Harder yet to be a woman of Color.
You know, one of the standard four-skin
variety pack–Black, White, Red, Yellow?
But what about us MixedBloods?
What are we? The Grays? Pinks? Ecrus,
Coppers, Burt Siennas?
Color confuses.
Makes some see outrage;
Others, pity or an-in-your-face-kind-of-scorn.
Senseless. Color can’t speak the truth.
The truth lives under the color.
As each succeeding generation mutes
and blends the tones,
The blending carries us closer
To the true state of our souls,
The final destination of being Colorless.
The power of woman brings us into the world,
Leads us to the safety, comfort, and pain of our world.
If we are lucky, in the end, the power of woman will sing us through our deaths,
Carry us home,
Where there are no tints and shades,
Where there is only sanctuary, and the solace of the open arms of the Grandmothers.
Women, when there is nothing else to give your child,
Give her a song, a strong woman song.
Sing us, Mothers, sing us home.
Copyright © Linda Boyden. All rights reserved.
Linda Boyden writes children’s books and poetry. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and Wordcraft Circle of Native American Writers and Storytellers. She is the author of The Blue Roses (Lee and Low Books), Powwow's Coming (University of New Mexico Press), and Giveaways: An ABC Book of Loanwords from the Americas (University of New Mexico Press).