Am I a zeru-zeru?

A white boy on the dark continent?

An accident?

A mistake?

A demon?

A freak?

A zombie?

A ghost?

NO! I am just a boy who wants to:

have friends and fun

and run;

but the sun

will sentence me to an early grave;

burning sores into my skin:

swollen, scorched,, scarred, scabbed.

My only color comes from the cancerous blotches of burned skin.

But I'm just a boy who wants to:

Love freely and live freely

and give freely.

But not give away my hair

or limbs

or bones 

for someone else's talismans.

I'm just a boy who wants to:

play with friends and pray with friends,

and walk with friends and talk with friends

and sleep peacefully,

and live thoughtfully,

and love unconditionally,

and waste afternoons lazily

 in the sunshine

 safe and unafraid,

and to know joy,

And to be

just another boy.

 

https://www.underthesamesun.com/