In Between

Keep your head down child,
Don't you dare look them in the eyes,  
If the white man ask you a question, you answer.    
You do not speak unless you are asked to,  
Mind your manners now,  
It's, “Yes sir, no ma’am”.  
   
These are the rules I was born into  
Passed down by my ancestors    
From the dark skinned woman and strong black man    
to their Negro children.  
Sometimes I wonder if these rules apply to me,  
As my skin glows differently.  
Master calls me his ‘Special one’    
I figured that's the reason why,    
I'm neither white nor black    
and can’t pick a side.  
   
My Negro Pa  
don't look me in the eyes,  
He don't say much to me either.  
I figured he’s probably jealous of my lighter shade skin.  
Master sneaks me candy sometime,  
when I'm standing next to Ma.  
She don't look him in the eyes  
but I seen the way he looks at her,  
It’s the same way my Pa looks at Ma  
   
Sometime I wonder why I is so different  
Why my eyes look like the colour of sky,    
Why my skin don’t match Ma's skin,  
Why my hair is different from Pa's,    
I asked Ma why I’m so different,  
she said, I ask to many questions  
And that I should just thank God,    
for making me special.  
Ps. I’ve never tasted that sugar cane candy, Ma says that’s candy from the devil.