Indigenous Woman

by Alyscia Quichocho

​Sweet girl, do not apologize for the accent

your tongue carries for it is thick and sweet like honey.

Foreign ears may not know the meaning of the music

your mouth orchestrates, but do not let that stop you

from singing loudly – your voice is the vessel

of your ancestors.

The color of your skin is not your enemy,

nor your curse–it is your story.

The story that began

when god chose to take time to paint the canvas

of your curved body. Melanin fused with strength and resilience

not even the brightest star in our galaxy could pierce.

When oppression and colonization sought to silence you,

your brown skin illustrated the story your mouth could not speak.

Your back may not bear the garments your ancestors once did,

but you are adorned with the customs and culture of all those who came before you.