To Snatch Black Gold from Sunlight

Jaz is a Performance and Award-winning Published Poet, Singer, Actress, Author, Playwright, and ASCAP Member-Songwriter. Her work has appeared in literary magazines such as APIARY, Westward Quarterly ... [+]

Image of Short Fiction Contest - 2020
Image of Poetry

Racism

You are

A breathing wound imprinted upon God's creation

Carved into the psyche of my ancestors

You are a brandished whip

Cross-stitched on the backs

Of my

Brothers

Children

Sisters

 

Racism

You are

The tombs which boldly traversed great oceans

To trade black blood for your profit, entertainment & privilege

 

Racism

You are an

Institutional

Systemic

Oppressive

Global

Pandemic

That rolls over & over into every century

To show your diseased face

Like the bloated body & bulged eyes

Of Emmett Till

                                        

Racism

You are a

Thief

of

Pulse

and

Purpose.

Of

Laughter

Dignity

and

Healing

Of

Home

Value

and

Humanity

Of

Unity

Of

Free

Of

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY TREE.

 

Racism you are the knee of Amerikkka which stole the breath from

George Floyd and Breonna Taylor

(YEAH...SAY ALL OF THEIR NAMES).

 

Your wickedness is in high places and low

 

Racism

It is time.

Way past time to

Break your stronghold

Torch your interruption

And

Face

Your

History

 

I have

No

Answers

For you

Though...

That's your job.

 

I will no longer hold up your mirror with instructions on dismantling your poisons

And I will not give you what you can go (re)searching for.

No

I am spirit-weary and soul-tired of the reruns on the endless hashtags of my existence

 

Your creators must

Do. The. Work. Now.

176