The Black Flamingo

Men are sand castles made out of pebbles
and the bucket is patriarchy: if you remove it,
we fear we won't be able to hold ourselves
together, we pour in cement to fill the gaps
to make ourselves concrete constructions

He is me, who I have

Men are sand castles made out of pebbles
and the bucket is patriarchy: if you remove it,
we fear we won't be able to hold ourselves
together, we pour in cement to fill the gaps
to make ourselves concrete constructions

He is me, who I have been,
who I am, who I hope to become.
Someone fabulous, wild and strong.
With or without a costume on.

You both need to understand the black woman, black man, black trans person is always last to be thought of as attractive in this white supremacist society. We are all - black and white alike - shown a beauty standard of light skin and "good hair", maybe big lips, maybe a big bum, but hardly ever on someone with darker skin. When a black person says they're only into white people that's internalised racism. When a white person says they're only into block people that's fetishisation, which is also a form of racism. If their skin or racialised features matter more to you than the person within, that's racism. I can't be your friend without calling this out. Your ignorance may be innocent but the racism is real. I want both of you to think about how what you said might make me feel.

Don't let anyone tell you that you are half anything...
You are a full human being. It's never as simple as being half and half.

I come from shepherd's pie and Sunday
roast, jerk chicken and stuffed vine leaves.
I come from travelling through taste buds
but loving where I live. I come from
a home that some would call broken.

I come from DIY that never got done,
I come from waiting by the phone
for him to call. I come from waving
the white flag to loneliness. I come from
the rainbow flag and the Union Jack

I come from a British passport
and an ever-ready suitcase. I come from
jet fuel and fresh coconut water.
I come from crossing oceans
to find myself. I come from deep issues
and shallow solutions.

I come from a limited vocabulary
but an unrestricted imagination.
I come from a decent education
and a marvellous mother.

I come from being given permission
to dream but choosing to wake up
instead. I come from wherever I lay
my head. I come from unanswered
questions and unread books, unnoticed
effort and undelivered apologies
and thanks. I come from who I trust
and who I have left.

I come from last year and last year
and I don't notice how I've changed.
I come from looking in the mirror
and looking online to find myself.
I come from stories, myths, legends
and folk tales. I come from lullabies
and pop songs, hip-hop and poetry.

I come from griots, grandmothers
and her-story tellers. I come from
published words and strangers' smiles.
I come from my own pen but I see
people torn apart like paper, each a story
or poem that never made it into a book.

My favourite scenes are from chapters “Barbies and Belonging” and “Glitter Ball”. In the respective scenes Mikey’s mother explains the importance of never

My favourite scenes are from chapters “Barbies and Belonging” and “Glitter Ball”. In the respective scenes Mikey’s mother explains the importance of never accepting anyone describe him as half of anything. Mikey provides advice on how to speak to a black flamingo, I was literally nodding my head in agreeance.

This is a book which will make you love everyone’s differences.