Coal
Audre Lorde

I picked this as my final blog post because it really moved me. I bet, upon first view, this poem is dismissed as merely a simple, one layered piece. But in reality, it's very complex and addresses some important issues.
"I/Is the total black, being spoken from the earth's inside" sets it off perfectly. Here you get an idea of how the poem will be read, the type of speech used, and the topic being discussed.
Audre Lorde uses the black vernacular in this poem, which you can see in the very first line. This relates to the title and topic perfectly. If she had used common language, the piece would not have nearly as much impact.
"Love is word, another kind of open/As the diamond comes into a knot of flame/I am black because I come from the earth's inside/Now take my word for jewel in the open light".....simply amazing. I think she is making two points here:
1) She wants people to take her seriously and respect her as a person regardless of skin color. This was a very bold statement at the time.
2) She wants not only to be taken seriously as a person, but also, she wants her words to be heard, considered, and admired. She wants to speak as a black person and be heard as just a "person".
I would recommend this poem to everyone. It's very accessible, yet profound.