Breeding turmoil everywhere you go

Churning up the ground

With cries and shouts of 

Pain and pleading

Crying and weeping

 

Some don’t see you 

They say you don’t exist

They say that these small streaks don’t show a larger picture

They say that the mistake of a few

Don’t show the flaws of the many

 

Racism,

While some see and ignore you

Or turn their heads and look away

I see you

I see your blotches of blood

Splattered across this country

No, this world 

I see the harsh stains on the fabric of our democracy

 

So you,

You who turn your head

Or look away

You who say it doesn’t exist

Or that the small streaks don’t show a larger picture

You can turn your head

You can cover the stains

You can clean the blotches

But when you turn back 

It’s still there

Looking right back at you