~Ignorance has NO Bliss~

I was born looking guilty, the color of my skin made me criminal by law...

~Ignorance has NO Bliss~
 

 

Does my color have such an offensive odor
That it makes you turn up your nose and snarl?
Even though I tower over you with height,
You still look down upon me.
I hang my head with grief.
As I fill my lungs with despair
And exhale a sigh of anguish.
They say, “Words can never hurt you…”
But the words that you say
Are weighed down with heavy chains…
That former slaves were shackled to.
I’m bond by misery and sorrow
I’m chained by blood and tears.
I mourn with heartache
As my soul shatters with disbelief…
I sob and wipe away weakness
My pride has been wounded by raw ignorance.
 

Author's Note

This wasnt written from a single incident but it was more of a relization..racism is always a hott topic so i know some people might not agree with it..but i am just speaking my mind...thanks for reading it...

Reviews

[Robert Luna]

Some people are born of ignorance and never got over it. I was raised in a house with a grandmother that was born and raised in Alabama. Hearing her use that word growing up like it was just normal. But I learned at an early age that it was no okay to say that. When I was kid we moved around alot and never really had to many afro-american kids around. But I do remember this moment with such clarity as it taught me a very valuable lesson. When I was about 7, me and some of the local guys were playing football an older black kid wanted to play with us he was about 4 or so years older than us we didn't mind. So we were playing and I threw him the ball and man was he fast. When he came back to the rest of us I said "Man you are fast, N****r" not thinking I had done anything wrong he asked to repeat myself so I did and before I knew it he was beating the holy crap out of me. Busted my lip, blooded my nose and just really kick the hell out of me. I didn't understand why so I took off like a bat out hell running home. I got home to find my father there as he asked what happened I told him exactly what I had said. he told me that black people don't like you to call them that it is not okay to say it to them. That exact moment I thought to myself if they don't like than why do people say it then. I wouldn't want to say it if I knew someone would be hurt by it. I returned back to where my friends were playing and I apologized to him and told him I did not know I had hurt his feelings. He quickly said you did not hurt my feelings you just are not suppose to call me that. That what my dad said. So it would seem that we were both the product of being brought up to different sides of that word.
But I did learn my lesson there are words that hurt when you use them wrong and there are people the react because that was how they were raised.

[Blackbirdsong]

I can't see who wouldn't agree with you especially since you are speaking from your own experience. I have dealt with this kind of thing myself and sadly I will have to again. One of the worst times when was I leaving a store. The security guard asked to check my bags, but didn't ask any of the white customers who were leaving if he could check theirs. Everyone is looking at me as he searches through my things and I stood there and looked calmly at him. My mother saw it and came over and said, "aren't you going to check my bags too?" He was shocked that she said anything and just said, "no." She said, "why not, you are checking my daughter's so check mine and while you're at it, why are you checking my daughter's bag and not the bags of all of those people over there?"

He gave me back my bag.

[~crazy Beautiful~]

this is so sad
and embarassing that is still sadly goes on
color is only color
this world is cruel
love is love
people are people
thank you for writing such a heartfelt piece &
thank you for entering my contest

[Melanie Jane Boicourt S..]

Girl, The poem explains it all. Don't let anyone make you feel like you can't express that. I pray that some day nobody sees anyone for thier outsides.
Love All, Mejasha

[Damien Dsoul]

Words, either when spoken or written, do have more power than a hundred swords, and your poem so eloquently sheds light on that fact. It is deep and very introspective, sad and engaging.

[Nelson]

Yeah..this is deep. I felt the hurt coming from this and comparing your feelings to that of a shackled slave was amazing! This was good, and the message was felt.

[Milan Mitchell]

I believe that shame is what people feel about themselves, e.g. fear and self hatred then guilt arises when people feel that their ancestors may or may not have been complicit in such dehumanizing acts of brutality and the dehumanizing and prejudicial thoughts still exists within themselves. A very thought provoking read. Thanks.

mm

[Prince of Poetry]

"I hang my head with grief
As I fill my lungs with despair
And exhale a sigh of anguish."

wow ...what else can I say