Sudu PaTe

Never till now have I seen my true color.
Never till now have I had to wonder
how to hide
my very presence
that catches the eye.
And I wonder why
my skin brands me
and tells them what to see:
A foreigner on vacation
no need for speculation,
perhaps a whore looking for trouble
or a sudu who will pay double.
Both dangerous and exciting,
but why can’t they see what I see?
A young woman trying to keep her sanity
as she is paraded around like an elephant in captivity.
A circus act meant to be performed, unknowingly.
Constant stares and I am the sight, unwillingly.
Forced to stand out and asked to fit in
my skin bears the colonial sign of sin.
Pure as ivory but tainted with the past
How long will this racism last?