Who Knew

Dear Men in Blue,

Who knew?
That retweeting hash tags wasn't all we could do?
That at a tender juvenile age I'd be dodging bullets from you?
Just because I was a minute late considering the stipulated curfew.

Who knew?
That the problem would be my skin,
The one who has nothing to sign over to the next of kin,
The after effects of pre-1994 still hurting like an unseen, subtle pin,
Who knew my skin could be so powerful?
So powerful that it causes you to shoot first,
And ask questions while I’m lying on the ground,
My blood from the bullets seeping into the cracks of a broken society,
My tears nourishing the soil it falls upon,
Who knew that my skin could be an epidemic?
So problematic,
Seemingly chaotic,
That it has no cure.

Who knew?
That when all we wanted was to present solutions,
Regarding justice and equality,
They'd question our intellect because our pigment is too dark to think too bright.
I understand how the justice system works against us,
I cry tears of admiration for people like uMcebo, Amla, Jodi, Masixole and Seabe who have falling deep into investing for the future, so we can rise up,
Stand up and say the government needs to be fixed,
Because right now I have to reconsider having kids,
Because I fear for them,
If this is the society we live in.

Who knew?

Reviews

[D Connolly]

OK, so first, HOLY COW... What an impressive write you have here. This is the first thing I've read from you, and I really like it. It's straightforward, pulls all the right punches, addresses current affairs, speaks to the plight of people of color, and raises important questions. I could go on and on. This is wonderful. Good job. GOOD JOB