Showing posts with label blacklivesmatter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blacklivesmatter. Show all posts

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Aminata's Refrain.

If a Marula tree falls in the woods, and no one is around; does it even make a sound?

What about when a warrior queen wails for the infant son who's been ripped right out of her shaking arms?

Does anybody hear it? Even if their tattoo tears concealed it, I know their eyes still had to see it.

Mother Africa wept silently through all those strife-filled years, her only solace lie in knowing that her stoic sun was near.

Blazing high up in the sky or beating against the scorching dirt, he wanted their invading feet to burn, just like their crackling whip that hurt.

As the neutral Earth tones blushed, imprinted by innocent blood, a permanent stain remained to ensure their names would not be washed away by monsoon rains.

Being sold out by neighbouring tribes hurt more than these pale faces whom they'd never seen before upon their shores. 

Was it even worth the reward of being the last prisoner whose head banged against the wooden floor?

Thrown into the stomach of a sardonic ghost ship, with the same siblings they had just helped the enemy enslave. 

Instantly swallowed alive by all the hateful eyes that questioned why they'd danced with these devils anyway.

And so it had begun, the beginning of humanity's end; when our brothers became animals to the very monsters who stopped seeing them as men.

Down here it was pitch dark and silent, just like the jungle, late at night; their vision struggled to make sense of whether they'd died or were somehow still alive.

The foul stench of rotten flesh filled the fetid air; whispered prayers shouted loudly for a creator who was neither here nor there.

As the rocking beast screeched to a sudden halt, sunlight peeked through cracks in its rotting walls. 

Perhaps their saviour had heard their cries after all? Maybe justice would be served and this evil would be stalled?

And so, these beautiful souls believed their torture was over and done.

My heart still aches to know their captors
were just starting to have their fun.

Shackled like chattel, and less worthless than cattle—they were poked and prodded by demons who believed they were far from godless heathens.

Wade in the water, children, we shall overcome, but not until we rise up against the poison in their souls.

Your acidic heart of insecurities could never break my spirit, it can only break my bones.

Just you wait and see what my maker has in store for me—you'll only know my agony when you're the one in chains, and I'm the one who's free.


Thursday, September 22, 2016

Slain.

Let freedom ring, it reigns supreme.
Liberty's bell solely tolls for thee.
Red, white, and blue but only for you.
For me, red is the blood of my brothers and sisters you've murdered.
White, the ticket of privilege that buys you luxuries my melanin can't afford.
And blue? Blue is the police force that engages in brutality.
Its sole criteria for ending a life is colour.
I pray for the day there is no news of injustice.
No headlines about rapists who are freed whilst teachers are wrongfully killed.
Mama, when can we stop digging graves?
Help me understand when we stop being slaves.
Will we ever be saved?
There seems to be no end in sight to this crusade.
Is it reckless, are the riots in vain?
All that ever changes are the names of the innocents slain.


Sunday, July 10, 2016

#BLACKLIVESMATTER

I feel my soul crying 
immediately behind my face,
the tears refuse to be released, 
they only press against 
the inside of my cheeks.

With heavy breath like 
there is a stone weighing 
down on my chest.
How am I to feel when they have 
waged war against innocence.

Retreating into myself for I am 
unsure of how I can help.
As futile as prayer or tossing 
coins into a wishing well.
Take my hand, the least I can 
do is comfort you.

Breaking down, I fall apart 
from hearing the news.
What can I do to assist 
my brothers and sisters,
when privilege reigns in this 
poorly built system of resistance.

No weapon formed against us 
was ever supposed to prosper.
Who am I to trust when 
I can't even have 
faith in the gospel.

Perhaps I am naive to continue 
carrying my dreams,
although they might as well 
be held in coffins.
Leaving me burdened as they 
strip me of my conscience.

The current state of affairs 
has left me feeling hopeless.
Has the whole world gone blind 
or have we just become desensitized?

Numb to the injustice 
that has become as natural 
as the clouds that stain 
the cliched, clear blue skies.

We need a revolution, 
or at least a resolution.
There is no humanity when 
hatred has left the world polluted.
How can we continue to feign 
ignorance to these circumstances?

Once, I learned that race was 
just a social construct 
and I almost believed it,
until I opened my eyes 
and saw all the inherent 
corruption that exists.

Fabricated to create 
a rift between us,
separating, segregating, 
sedating and now 
it cannot be reversed.

Perhaps focusing on all 
that we have in common,
instead of drawing lines 
designed by our differences
could bridge the distances
between us.

We shall overcome!  
There is power in numbers.
Shameful to think brutality 
is what it took to awaken 
the sleeping from their slumber.

Who can say what 
we might accomplish,
if we aspired to undo 
the centuries of brainwashing
until all of the hate is abolished.

When we bond together
ignoring their profiling
of races; we can heal
and free ourselves from 
oppression and its cages.



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