1.
Moonlight
Coming of age
Is tricky for black boys.
We are seen as “men” too early
By the powers that be.
Rites of passage
Were lost.
2.
“Manhood”
For black boys
Without father figures
Is often a stereotype
Fashioned by fantasies
The “master race”
Dreamt up.
3.
Bullies
Target the “weak.”
Their insecurities
Nestled in pejorative terms
They heap upon others.
Truth is they fear
Themselves
☆
Keith M. Kelley | Poet 