To the Tone of Carob - Triple O, Shiv, Felicia Ngwube

Lighter skin with the fire within

The online superstar that’s shooting

The flash of camera’s leaving her blind

Look in the mirror, but she never minds

Another mind that’s overwhelmed by the pressures of feeling beautiful

Dark and lovely, but the lovely not apparent

Daddy lighter, so she blames the other parent

Appearing — now disappearing you see her fearing

Sharing nothing with no one

Cause no one listens, — and no one cares

And so she feels with her feelings

Bleaching and bleeding — not even

What God made equally — the fear it supersedes

Successfully setting in — settling with sentences

Life behind remel, a rebel without a cause

Flaws, spotting many so the contour

Is the essence of her demeanor

Left crying down on the floor

And if we wanna keep it short, looking at the source

Look at the superstar she adores

(Bridge)

Thoughts won’t let up

Tattooed on my heart, it won’t give up

This is like the worst love letter

I — wanna see these days get better (better)…

_ I don’t have the looks to say that I’m good enough

When it feels this way I start giving up

Black berry oh so sweet

But the blacker the berry’s becoming bitter to me

Falling deeper into all the lies

And it hurts sometimes

But I’ll be alright

Dear colored skin

I’m nothing like Beyonce, (wait)

I’m ashamed I’m a darker shade, (great)

And like the bluest eye, _ the hate that is deep inside

For something I can’t deny (for God’s sake)

Though I wanna change, they validate me

But no we are not the same;

different in every way

Way, way, way

I just wanna be beautiful

The death of self-esteem;

Buried alive — killing the mind

They hear this and may be touched, but won’t be moved

So I pay to be fine

Crushed by the world and those who look to pity me

The same eyes that look down to see

And play a role in the demoralizing of who I be

Either way, I still blame me

(Bridge)

Thoughts won’t let up

Tattooed on my heart, it won’t give up

This is like the worst love letter

I — wanna see these days get better (better)…

I don’t have the looks to say that I’m good enough

When it feels this way I start giving up, oh

I wanna see clear like the way you see me

Black berry oh so sweet

But the blacker the berry’s becoming bitter to me

Falling deeper into all the lies

And it hurts sometimes

But I’ll be alright

Dear coloured skin, coloured skin

Scrolling down the insta and saw her mister

Had been tapping pictures

Giving his heart to other…*inhale* - that’s the rage speaking

Breathe in

I’m nothing like her

Did he like her?

I don’t like her

Ten to eleven deleting the app

Two packets of paracetamol, ten in a pack

Looking to score, a bakers dozen may do it in fact

Some baking powder with the power, a punch it could pack

She’d been planning this for a little while now

A note written from her mother’s child

To the woman responsible for her baby’s skin

But the baby failed to see that was a great thing

Plucking up the courage

Forever sleeping every pain away

Closing my eyes to the lies life brings

One, two, three…