She was an obedient child
Born of hard-working parents
Strictly raised morals ingrained
She was given a new assignment
From her third-grade teacher
To draw a picture family tree
Of her extended family
She poured through the crayon box
Looking for the right colors
Grandma’s cedar neck
Uncle James from Louisiana
His toothless pecan grin
Aunt Mabel from Kentucky
Her face like a shiny penny
Great Uncle Joe from Maryland
Gnarled like an old hickory tree
Her Georgia and South Carolina roots
Mama’s long peanut fingers
The burnt umber in her father’s skin
Her sister’s bushy chestnut hair
Her brother's smokey topaz eyes
She checked once again
But to no avail
Her school crayola box
With the built-in eraser
Had only one brown.
Copyright@ All rights reserved
Camille Elaine Thomas
May 04, 2021
Elaine Thomas from Germany - Read Elaine's Bio
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