BLACK DON’T CRACK

Yes, I have heard all these silly phrases
attempt to address people’s ages.
Black Don’t Crack
and Asian doesn’t raisin
Brown sticks around
while yellow stays mellow,
but these observations exclude the Caucasians.

People obsessed that we don’t look our age. 
This is the way that they choose to engage.
“But you look so young!” say some slightly enraged.
Inspecting the book, trying to turn every page
Attempts to crack it open to reveal what’s tattered, torn.
in a book that was well read so it should be worn
yet not showing wear and tear, it's outrageously unfair.

May I offer a confession?
Sometimes it feels like a micro-aggression.
It’s a complicated phrase.
A backhanded compliment undermining the depth of our days.
The ways we’ve endured more than most
while sitting at the feet of a complicated post in life.
Reflections of our tenacity, bravery and strength
in a mirror that has the gall to be full-length.

Yes, it seems to be the fact that Black don't crack.
But perhaps we should all be a bit on guard,
because when Black finally cracks, it’s going to crack hard!