I'm Clint Smith and this is
"Ode to the Only Black Kid in the Class."
You, it seems,
are the manifestation
of several lifetimes
of toil.
Brown v. Board
in flesh.
Most days
the classroom feels
like an antechamber.
You are deemed expert
on all things Morrison,
King, Malcolm, Rosa.
Hell, weren’t you sitting
on that bus, too?
You are every-
body’s best friend
until you are not.
Hip-hop lyricologist.
Presumed athlete.
Free & Reduced sideshow.
Exception and caricature.
Too black and too white
all at once.
If you are successful
it is because
of affirmative action.
If you fail it is because
you were destined to.
You are invisible until they turn on
the Friday night lights.
Here you are star before
they render you asteroid.
Before they watch
you turn to dust.
