Passing Time

By: Maya Angelou

Your skin like dawn
Mine like musk


One paints the beginning
of a certain end.


The other, the end of a
sure beginning.

This poem is very short and sweet. You can tell my the title, its about the passing of time. Angelou is comparing two skins, one like dawn and the other like musk, meaning dark and light. I think the author is trying to say that as one door closes, another is opening. I think this has to do with skin colors, and hope for all races to be equal.  As time passes, peoples views on different races are changing.