Between Two Worlds

by SC Rivera
Honorable Mention, Poetry
Living in a black and white world
Where shades of gray have no place
My skin tone is light brown, but not dark enough
Yet, it's too dark to be white
So where do I fit in
If not a woman of color
Nor white, what then
I am a woman of color caught between two worlds

I am a woman with a disability
How dare I say that I am disabled?
I don't look disabled
No way can I be disabled
You must be lying
So how can I be disabled?
I am a disabled woman caught between two worlds

I am a lesbian
Living in a world that says my way of loving is wrong
That I can't be one of god's children
It's just not possible
They say my way of living is a sin
Because I am a woman in love with a woman
I ask for no special rights
Just the right to live and love without persecution
To have equal rights just like everyone else
So, don't be confused by how deep my voice is
Or how short my hair is
Or that my appearance may seem more masculine
Because it's not my attempt to be a man
It's just simply me
Who loves women
I am lesbian caught between two worlds

I am a fat woman living in a world that laughs at me
Day in and day out, I am reminding of my imperfections
That somehow I should be ashamed of the way I look
That I can change the way I look if I just had more "will power"
To be fat is to be socially unacceptable
To be an outcast
I am fat woman caught between two worlds
I live in a society that seems to find everything wrong about me
A world that embraces hatred but not tolerance or acceptance
A world that's afraid to accept our uniqueness or our individuality
Where striving for perfection is used as a cloak to hide imperfection
Instead of contempt towards our difference
What about nurturing tolerance for those who walk to a different beat
Because I know I am caught between two worlds as a disabled fat lesbian
woman of color
Those labels are just too heavy to carry, So why can't I be just me?

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© 2013 Fresno City College—The Review / Ram's Tale is a publication of student writing and artwork from the Humanities and Fine, Performing and Communication Arts Divisions at Fresno City College. Authors retain all rights to their work.