White as Coal - Dominic Dailey

If I was as black as Coal,

With the Lorde’s confidence within me

Would I be a happy soul?

Could I inherit her?

If I was Virginia white,

With a room to work in on my own

Would I become famous then?

Or would I be alone?

Could I Wright as he once did?

As a man I am invisible

As a woman I am not.

I think of that a lot.

But I cannot write it.

Hughes’ Wash Woman knows my tune

My father dances with Golden Shoes

Blood wets my mother’s garden

With the family of her husband.

If I was more bronze of skin

Or Blue of Eyes, could I maybe then

feel I have a home to win

Over with my soul song.

---

Dominic Dailey is a student of literature and aspiring professor. In an attempt to better understand poetry, he writes it himself in a variety of styles. He uses the medium to investigate himself and his place in the world. From his racial identity, to his sexual and transgender experiences, to how he navigates his relationships with others.