"Black Girl Candy Striper," A Poetry Post

Black Girl Candy Striper,
please bring your
caddy of manicure supplies
to the Nephrology ward
and clip your sisters' fingernails.

Black Girl Candy Striper,
please come through
with an assortment of
black-fist-ended hair picks and
natural hair moisturizers
so the girls in Oncology can
pick what they have.

Black Girl Candy Striper,
please bring in some
Brazilian Remy wigs
for the sisters
with no more glory
to shake
in this place.

Bring us some
deep, moody nail polish and
punctuating lipstick
for those who can
still
moisturize and
paint their lips.

Sister,
come and
sing a song
about hope
in here.

Black Girl Candy Striper,
bring in
your scripture
and your smile.

You don't even
have to wear that
funky
peppermint outfit.

This is the modern world.

Come in your black slacks
with a backpack,
and we will
receive you.

You don't even
have to be
teen.

Just pop in after work
for a half hour,
twice a week.

My candy striping Sister,
bring
a little of your
fly
to the ward.

On the ward,
sisters need it.

-T. D. James-Moss