THE GOLDEN RATIO

I am as fragile as a snail emerging from its shell—scarred by countless losses, seduced by false hope, and wounded by ignorance. I have endured slavery, unchained myself from its shadows, and watched modern technology consume what remained of my once-perfect form. People admire my rhythms and my sounds, yet behind my back, they mock me for being Black. Yet, through it all, I endure—unchanged, unchained, eternal: a Black woman, the perfect golden ratio.