Once upon a time, I was a Black 
woman who had no fear.
I walked in giant strides and
stepped on all the cracks and never
worried about anyone’s back.
‍
But that time is in the future,
in a world uncreated.
I can’t see it, but I can feel it:
in a head nod to another Black
body on the street, in the fleck
of gold in a Black woman’s locs.
‍
Once upon a time, Time didn’t
matter. It was constructed out of
paper and broken pencils and 
no one knew how to stop it.
‍
Once upon this time, I am a Black
woman who lives with enough
fear to motivate me to break 
every wall I see and burn
down Time so that I can finally
find some rest. Once upon this time,
I am free.