Are You Shrinking Again?

You were an insecure Black girl
who was no stranger to the taste and texture
of swallowed words
like brackish water and sandpaper
dulling the back of your throat
carrying yourself as if you didn’t
have meaning and magic running through
your bloodstream
you turned to music as an ally
and books as companions
and through them
your voice found you
and it found you
feminist and resilient