I wrote this poem because I wanted to express how I felt about my dark skin color. I’m from a Sri Lankan Taml family and as a result of our culture, children are taught that skin color is an indicator of a person’s level of beauty and status. The more lighter you are, the more beautiful you are. I’ve been told by various people, from friends to relatives, that dark skin is ugly and lower class.

I just wanted to show the effect that this type of dialogue has had on girls like me. At times, I feel trapped behind my appearance because people choose to categorize me simply because of my dark skin. Hearing words like common and ugly your entire life gives you the feeling of being boxed into a little corner by these mean words.