Being a black body
In places of affluence
And convenience
Demands
That one presents oneself
In distinctive ways-
Distinct from the riff-raff
And the common criminal
Lest you find yourself
On the wrong end of
Petty justice.
To give off the wrong signal-
A sweaty brow
An ill fitting shirt
Leisurely walking in a mall
without a strong
An agenda-
All these seemingly innocent things
Can turn the most mundane of tasks
Into a personal nightmare
Of mistaken identity,
Where you are not
A client to be wooed
Or a customer to be courted
But somehow despite your good intentions
Your apearance
Renders you to be a
Nuisance to be removed.