Too Smart to Be Black

Illustration: Tiffany Tuedor

i traveled back in time

1994 to be exact

and i saw myself
with my head
buried inside
of my arms
on top of
the wooden desk
in ms. booker’s classroom

my tears
had seeped through
my brand new
mickey mouse shirt
that i got for Christmas

my small
body and mind
had crashed under
the weight
of whispered insults
from answering
all
of ms. booker’s questions
correctly
accurately
precisely

i wasn’t supposed to

i’d just transferred to the school in the middle of the year,
and i’d only been in her classroom for two weeks