I Was Only Five

I remember it just like it was yesterday,

at the grocery store,

playing with a buggy and not aware of my surroundings.

I brushed the back of her leg,

and that’s when she said, “You Little Nigger,”

and I could tell by her tone,

something was wrong.

I was only five,

she overlooked the childhood joy in my eyes,

proceeded to threaten my innocence,

the word hit me and I could tell it was of significance,

I gathered by her body language that she was tense,

I ran to my mom for my defense,

told her about the incident,

and my mom searched for her in that store,

because you can’t just speak that word without consequence.

When we got home,

my mom schooled me on the word and its history,

how it caused our ancestors’ misery,

it was no longer a mystery.

The lady despised me because of my beautiful brown skin,

even though I apologized,

I was just bad in her eyes.

I still wonder to this day if she knew I was only five.

Sharnta Bullard started writing poetry at a very young age. She published her first poem at age eleven. She currently works as a medical technician, but continues to pursue her passion of writing. Additionally, she also has a master's degree in Human Service Counseling. She is an advocate of helping people find their why and voice. She is currently living overseas.