Black men,
You "cannnot shed a tear",
That's what you were taught
Since you were a wee high boy
Because the lethal weapons would draw near
Tearing you apart with bullets
Of words, actions
And everlasting fear
From people with your own skin,
"And we shall call them kin"
+++
Black men,
In tales of old
Did you know that you were the head?
Once you are gone,
Whether imprisoned in your minds
Or worse, dead and buried
Your women and children
Live in eternal fear
Weakened, just like they wanted it to be
+++
Black men
Don't be proud
Of the gaping fear that you cause
In another black man's heart
Don't you see?
That's all they want,
To see the black family fall apart
To see us like the savages
They painted us to be
Both literally and figuratively
+++
Black men, really
Think about it,
Statistically speaking, the full black family's
Getting weaker, and weaker
And weaker, by the generation
Fathers in jails,
Getting buried in cemetaries early,
Gallavanting with another woman
Leaving and "sowing
Multiple wild oats in their stead"
+++
Black men,
When you are gone...
The women that you made mothers
Are forced
To be both father and mother
To children that didn't ask to be born
In this harsh and cruel, evil world
Like back in the day,
But it's seriously getting worse
+++
Black men,
It's like a goddamn disease
That never goes away
Never ceases to end
Instead, we're seriously infected
For twice, thrice more
Generations to come
+++
Black men,
Open your eyes
Strengthen your mind,
Your body, your spirit
Don't keep them weak,
Vulnerable
For the enemy to strike
Trust me, they're watching
And waiting
To see you fall, your downfall
Like a strategized stack
Of fallen dominoes
+++
Black men,
I know it's not all your fault...
But you could unlearn
All the harmful shit
That was ingrained
In you from the start
And re-learn the things
That were erased
From your psyche
+++
Only then, will we see
A breakthrough
Only then, will the head
Finally be able to lead
Only then, would black women
Be willing to follow
Only then, will this curse finally end
Only then.
YOU ARE READING
aruma - naked thoughts
PoetrySometimes, written words are a way to release thoughts that you'd never have the courage to say out loud to others. Real and true poetry. These are free-verse because, sometimes, feelings are so raw that they're not meant to rhyme, and that's okay!
