Before a Black girl gets to say the word “safe,”

The world snatches it right out of her throat,

Clenched fist around its whole body

How dare she tell the world what she wants to be,

Like the world don’t show her mercy every step she takes

Like the world don’t write her fairytales, like it don’t give her choices,

Let her choose how her flesh shall be divided;

Make her feel like she got options: the wolves, or the pigs

How dare she be so ungrateful,

Like the world didn’t just spare her, today

Like the world don’t let her be sunshine

Instead of knocking her lights out, today

Like the world ain’t let her walk through the

Valley-of-the-shadow-of-death and come out, “okay”

Like the world don’t call her queen when

It gets done calling her a whore

How dare she be too mighty to martyr,

Too majestic, how dare she birth movements

After it told her to keep her legs closed

How dare she be legendary, how dare she be half goddess half miracle

How dare she not disappear when it demands a magic trick

What sorcery responsible for such a phenomenon,

How dare she be powerful without permission

How dare she refuse to be silent, so nasty how she

Speak when she ain’t spoken to,

Talk about all the dead Black girls like the world

Owes her some kind of explanation, talkin’ ‘bout the safety she’s owed

Like she somebody special

Like she somebody at all

When a Black girl screams, “I AM SOMEBODY!”

The world goes deaf.

When a Black girl says, “Look what you’ve done!”

The world goes blind.

When a Black girl says, “Tell them don’t make me a ghost.”

The world can’t speak;

Like a cat got its tongue

Like it ain’t the cat picking its teeth with our wings

When a Black girl says, “Let me fly, leave me be.”

The world says, “Only in death.”

The world says, “I made you an angel. Be grateful.”