I cannot walk down the street

Or I can

I just choose not to,

Because why would you

Walk in a place where your skin is your identity

And your rights are engraved in your pigment

Tell me, who would want to live in this predicament

 

I cannot go to school

Or I can

I just choose not to

Because why would you

Go to a place where ridicule is waiting at the double doors

And the teacher, would rather teach a dog,

 then look at your face and tell you your smart

 

 

This is  my reality

Where it is more comfortable to wear a paper bag over my head

And knock into stranger s

Because at least then they'd have a reason to be mad at me

 

This is my reality

Daily Contemplating between

Hiding in my bed or hiding in the bathroom stall

Going to the store or starving

Keeping my dignity or letting it get tarnished

Being comfortable in my skin or praying to be the opposite

 

You know,

There are more people like me

Just like me

Thousands  like me

Keeping themselves in bondage like me

Wrapping duct tape around their vocal chords

Sewing their ears shut

Because then

They'd be handicapped

And have an adequate reason for still being

Scared to live.

 

But

All while we're

Constantly pushing ourselves further and further down

Giving up,

And building our own graves

Until dirt is at our chin

 

There was a gardner plucking his fellow brothers and sister s from the earth

Showing them that they were  worth more

Than what they had been taught

 

He was a tailor

Taking out the stitches from their shut ears

And

Uncovering their silenced

Vocal chords

 

He was a visionary

Spending his evenings on the mountain top

He saw gods plan for black America

Even though it came in a dream

What he saw seemed possible.

 

There was something different about this negro man

He didn't walk

Talk or seem like me

 

He had light in his eyes

Power in his step

Strength in his fingers

He was a believer

 

Believer in freedom

In love

And in healing

 

He believed that

With one hope

With one dream

With one faith

With one step

Can start a chain of fortunate event

 

Can aause an earthquake

And upturn a nation

Leaving the results to manifest

And continue

Through countless  generations

 

We are that generation

Let's be that generation

Generations free

Generations hope

Generation you

Generations me

Generation yes 4 equality