A picturesque tone of earth,
Balmy and radiant to see;
Fed lies of being scuzzy,
Pushed to bleach to please.
Wrapped in uneven tones;
Skin saturated with poisons;
Failing organs ringing death.
All for faulty reasons.
Why please blind minds
Stuck in false paths?
Why validate words
That tag you below par?
Put your head in clouds
Dripping in melanin,
Clad on grace and worth,
And flaunt your skin.
by Chisom Nsiegbunam
Chisom Nsiegbunam is a Nigerian writer. Her work has appeared in Brittle Paper, Kalahari Review, WSA, and Poemify, among other publications. She was a fellow in the Idembeka Creative Writing Workshop (2024) and the SprinNG Writing Fellowship (2023). She reads for WSA Magazine. When she is not reading or writing, she is obsessing over artworks and the taste and scent of Chamomile and Hibiscus tea.
photo by Felipe Gomes
Aayo Magazine 