the loving of night and light

A couple of weekends ago we spent some family time at Starbucks, sipping warm drinks, eating pumpkins muffins from Breadsmiths. The kids were colouring and chatting away to the Professor, who was colouring also. They were filling in a castle scene together, complete with dragon and moat. The Lamb said, I'm going to colour this princess with brown skin, like us. With a furtive glance at me... just out of the corner of her eye... she did.

I came across this poem tonight, at a friend's house. It's addressed to a little girl named Josie, who is anxious about being different from the (mainly white) children at her new school. It can be found in the poetry collection Poetry Speaks to Children. Enjoy.

Okay, Brown Girl, Okay
by James Berry

Josie, Josie, I am okay
being brown. I remember,
every day dusk and dawn get born
from the loving of night and light
who work together, like married.
And they would like to say to you:
Be at school on and on, brown Josie
like thousands and thousands and thousands
of children, who are brown and white
and black and pale-lemon color.
All the time, brown girl Josie is okay.

Josie, Josie, I am okay
being brown. I remember,
every minute sun in the sky
and ground of the earth work together
like married.
And they would like to say to you:
Ride on up a going escalator
like thousands and thousands and thousands
of people, who are brown and white
and black and pale-lemon color.
All the time, brown girl Josie is okay.

Josie, Josie, I am okay
being brown. I remember,
all the time bright-sky and brown-earth
work together, like married
making forests and food and flowers and rain.
And they would like to say to you:
Grow and grow brightly, brown girl.
Write and read and play and work.
Ride bus or train or boat or airplane
like thousands and thousands and thousands
of people, who are brown and white
and black and pale-lemon color.
All the time, brown girl Josie is okay.