There's Still Time

Little Pecola wanted blue eyes
To blend into the crowd
To have a better life
To not be black
As black as she was
With her wooly head
and her
deep brown eyes.

I wanted hair down to there
To stand out from the crowd
To be a prettier girl
To be black
As black as I am
With long, long hair
and my
deep brown eyes.

Instead, my hair is short
Getting shorter by the day
With thinning and age
And pollution and lack of care
Perhaps there's still time
To save what I have
Protect what I have
Take care of what I've been given
Before it's too late.