Messy

The Supreme Court has ruled that it is legal to discriminate against people with dreadlocs

"It's not a race thing" they said, "It just tends to get messy."

 

Heinous acts against others,

no matter the amount of melanin your skin contains,

should be treated the same

but when asked why a white swimmer is to be held to a lower standard

than a black football player

you can't answer me,

because that would be white priveledge 

and it's not a race thing, it just tends to be messy

 

When asked by little brown children

why they don't care about us

and why our bodies are as common as roadkill

but less valuable than dust

you seem to struggle finding an answer for us

cause those can be pesky

and it's not a race thing,

it just tends to get messy

 

When asked why they shout "All Lives Matter"

to drown out the splatter 

of broken tail lights, loud music, skittles and tea

Jaywalking, being black, reaching for your license

and Cds

 you seem to struggle finding an answer for me

shouting and rioting is not what we planned to do,

but what else is there?

when your oppressors are the only ones to complain to

we've been resilient since the last whip sounded

you tossed us molehills and we've built mountains

how we haven't lost our minds still astounds us

cause we never talk about the race thing

it just tends to stay messy

 

Then we're forced to study America's "founders"

who promoted our extention

reading my textbook

I wonder why

Angela Davis

Huey Newton

and Malcom X are missin'

and they're more American than half the appliances in our kitchens

it seems there's a gap here

a lapse in stitchin'

you tried to to bury our history

like you did the natives

*Ahem*

The Indians

you honor our oppressors

and from that I guess you recieve our divideneds 

you're ignoring the restless nation,

how it can't sleep

you keep shoving Columbus down our throats when we still can't breathe

you try to sepereate us

tell us our struggles are make believe

because you know the only way to kill Adam

is to hurt Eve

I see these things in color

clearly

and you dare to tell me,

it's not a race thing

So why am I making it messy?

This poem is about: 
My community
My country

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