natural

when strange men

touched my afro

i felt helpless

and wanted to run away

it was so violating

to feel hands in my hair

that I didn’t want

fondling and feeling

through my curls and kinks

they said it was so uncommon these days

to see a woman with a natural look

and they were fascinated

couldn't help themselves to bother asking my name

or where i came from

they just wanted to get off

in my hair

one of them wanted to know

if it was virgin

because he had never had one of those before

the other one said

that he was turned on by the smell of coconut oil

it reminded him of being on a deserted island

with just me and him

i didn’t answer

just kept quiet

hoping they would go away

but inside i was angry

wondering why a woman

has to always be subjugated with this brutality

and can’t be herself

without somebody

wanting to touch

feel

and taste

without permission