My Identity

Please,
do not touch my hair.

A worshipper possesses no temerity
to touch the crown upon a sovereign’s head.

A rookie officer dares not handle
the weapon of his chief advisor.

A system unfamiliar with
coils and edge control
bestows upon you no authorization.

Deconstruct your inclination to skim
your impure phalanges through
these exquisite pili.

Your progenitors deem them
unprofessional.

But my hair is full of life
like the Atlantic Ocean in 1619,

strong with history like the
unedited version of Jefferson’s constitution,

and polished like freshly
uncapped honey.

See my worth and
respect my hair’s history

but please,
do not touch my hair.

Destiny DeCosta Torres was born and raised in Norfolk, VA. She graduated from Old Dominion University with a Bachelors in English Creative Writing in December 2020. She has no prior publications at this time.