[cassy_sassy]

What does this poem mean?

She does not know
Her beauty,
She thinks her brown body
Has no glory.
If she could dance
Naked
Under palm trees
And see her image in the river,
She would know.

But there are no palm trees
On the street,
And dish water gives back no images.

Editor's note:
From the Album Let It All Out (1966)
Written by Nina Simone, Waring Cuney in 1964

[Wondergirl]

It's very sad. Break it down --

She does not know her beauty and thinks her brown body has no glory. (she does not realize how pretty she is),

If she could dance naked under palm trees and see her image in the river, she would know. (she thinks if she lived in some exotic place, somewhere else, she would be prettier, an exotic beauty)

But there are no palm trees on the street and dish water gives back no images. (but she lives in the 'hood and isn't an exotic creature and can't see a pretty face in the murky dish water, in the dreariness of her life)

[cassy_sassy]

Thank you that was so helpful