'PURE': a poem

We ignite fires

We flavor the air

But like coal we are tossed away

As if we were never there

We are reimagined

Painted flavorless

Emptied canvases

And relaxed tresses

Erased simply out of preference

An in denial of truth

Melanin features are uncomfortable

And oppressor proof

To be Christian and a woman

Catholic and Black

My religion is shapeshifting

To blend in with what I lack

Spewing mere opinions that shame

The wicked draped in robes

My impurity is to blame

For an image I can't uphold

For garments deemed improper

Rape culture apologists

Casual racism and a lack of tolerance

Embraced idolatry and worshipping politics

Are we supposed to follow this?

Discarded facts for vile rhetoric

In chosen silence we allow this

Shunning our neighbors for false superior complexes

My tongue bleeds from what I can't articulate

And my seething heart has rested assure

The definition of Christianity has been manipulated

From worldly standards of what it means to be pure.

Melissa Menny is an author with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Journalism. She is a poet and a writer in all aspects. When she is not working, she enjoys painting, music, and spending time with her husband and son.