Dark Woman?

inspired by the photograph linked above

what is a dark woman?

is it the mystery
she contains within?
is it the contrast between
the iris and the white of her eye?
is it the veil
that obscures natural beauty?
the glowing quality of her skin?
is it the needs
we know she will fulfill?
mammy, wet nurse, cook, the maid.

who is the dark woman?

one whose presence remains unknown
indifferent to us yet not alone
she who heals and removes the hurt
she who moves quietly now
patient discrete persistent replete
she who knows us; staid and mighty.


no, simply the shadow of doubt
cast upon her by a society troubled
by years of indoctrination, centuries of
unexplored psychology, a history of
repression and xenophobia.

your neighbor, your wife,
your colleague or boss, your
partner for life.
we are the dark woman...each of us
in some type of way. we who serve
we who pray. we who birth we sashay

we smoke and drink we work we play.
we dance we live we love we laugh

who is the dark woman for you today?