Vicissitudes and What-You-Call-Its

first I was,
unknown
but I was,
open arms
then I became,
bamboozled
and thereafter,
barbarized
pillaged
raped
conquered
destroyed,
colonized
and so I became,
tyrannized
oppressed
subjugated
property
enslaved
then I became titled,
subhuman
savage
pagan

then my identity macerated

my name enduring a constant state of flux

no longer African

and once a brilliant array of pliable colors
now abraded with immutable disenfranchisement

a physiognomy acculturated to demonization

adjectives metamorphosed to superfluous nouns

nouns that narrated ominous trepidation
from once fervent and effervescent beings

I became,
nigger

then,
colored

then,
negro

then,
black

then,
Afro American

and now,
African American

what next?