What do I know?
I am but a mixed raced child
They say I must be confused
Mustn't know who
I am
They say I have wild ideas
Believing I can be black and white
At the same time
Never, they say can it be both day and night
They call me coconut
Say that my skin is the colour of Jamaica's mud
But inside I am white
That I think I am better than them
With all of my airs and graces
How can I be both?
When one half of me
Enslaved the other
They say I don't know my history
That my mother land
Covered my father land in tears
They say I am but a tool
A pawn to weaken the blood of the race
Weakened features to change to face
Of my people
I am just another way to oppress them
Fight against it, they say
Stay true to your roots
What do I know?
This mixed raced child
I could teach many a thing or two
My heart beats a reggae rhythm
And my feet walk proudly on England's earth
Made from love despite
The past battles and fights
I see the best in both people
I feel pride for both countries
Because they combine in me
I am a complete person
I am not confused
I am not two halves that don't
Fit together
I am a mixed raced child
And I know who I am
Ellen Shaw
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-am-but-a-mixed-raced-child/
