sunlight // beauty in solidarity

by yagyesha roy

cover photo by Pooja Dua

his skin was shining gold under the sun,

one book said.

 

bronze skin in stark contrast with the wall,

yet another proclaimed.

 

skin like caramel and honey,

another screamed.

 

he frowned,

looking at his arms

 

his skin

was neither gold

nor bronze

nor the color of honey.

 

it did not have subtle,

yellow undertones.

 

it was simply brown.

 

was his skin

not beautiful enough

for writers to portray it

as it was?

 

he searches up the authors

of each book.

 

ah,

he thinks

looking at their pale skin.

 

it’s a month later

when he reads a description

of a brown character

in the sunlight.

 

their skin

was neither gold

nor bronze

nor the color of honey.

 

it did not have subtle,

yellow undertones.

 

it was simply brown.

 

and yet,

they shone

 

and looked beautiful anyway.

 

he searches up the author

of the book

 

ah,

he thinks

looking at their brown skin.

 

it’s years later

when someone tells him

he looks beautiful in the sunlight.

 

their skin tone

matches his own.

 

he smiles.

 

it’s like the sun was made for us,

they say.

 

we look beautiful.

 

they did not need

their skin to be

gold

or bronze

or the color of honey.

 

their skin was simply brown.

 

and they looked beautiful anyway.