Image: Shirren Lim, Flickr
I refuse to see myself
through your eyes
to let your lens
become my disguise.
I won’t give in
to its stereotype.
I won’t become your lie.
My wish for freedom
will not die.
You strip me back
to my bones
classify me
by skin tones.
I am more than my skin;
If you look deeper
you could be kin.
I cut you adrift
deflect the hurt
you sought to give
so I can simply live.
After I have healed
from your slight
I send out a light
to shade us both.
I won’t become your lie.
My wish for freedom
will not die.
(c) June Perkins
Ripple Poetry 
Brilliant stuff June.
Thanks for leaving a comment. Writing right from the heart with this one.
Beautiful and powerful!
Thanks Wenda for taking the time to leave a comment.
Reblogged this on Following the Crow Song.
I love your work, June. This one made me cry.
A great honour to have you say that and visit the blog. I am sure Ali you are going to be such a well known writer one day and your work as it unfolds from what I have seen is stunning. Can’t wait to see it finally in print.
Thanks for the encouragement June. It’s been such a long road and the ‘first stop’ still seems so far ahead! 😊