Sweet Vaseline
We were
Cocoa Butter babies
with Afro-Sheen dreams
petrolleum Jelly
Sweet Vaseline
Butter caramel complexions
or hazy black blue
deep chestnut amber
opaque onyx hue
No matter the color
It’s all good for you
put some on your acne
She’s good for that too
Or, moisture depraven
split cracking lips
desperate elbows
skin dry as chips
We went from nasty and ashy
rusty to bronze
and all that it took
was to slather her on
Unruly, malicious
beautiful brown
curly delicious
natural crown
For wear anywhere
for skin or for hair
Sweet Vaseline
was our vanity fair
Rub a little bit on
Rub a little bit in
surely took care of
our beautiful skin
Silkingly glowing
shine head to toe
soft and luxorious
beautiful fro
Now yes, we use Keri
and Noxema is fine
Especially when used with the
Venus Divine
We up and moved on
to Intensive Care
and found other products
to lovely our hair
New Cocoa Butter Babies
smell of powery dew
but what was once good for us
is good for them too
Black universal
cultural esteem
we all can remember
Sweet Vaseline
~Rachelle M. Turple
BlackLit101 