Sunken dreams

Dark history

This nation never wants to hold itself accountable
As the atrocious acts are captured on somebody's cell phone.
The images forever embedded in our brains,
Leaving four hundred years of scars.
We continue to be terrorized by the trauma.

We keep tolerating the nation's abuses
As they dangle promises in our faces,
Saying it's going to change its racist culture this time.

But we keep allowing ourselves to be lured back into submission,
Blindly seeking validation from people
Who don't know how to reckon with our human rights.
They want to numb us with misinformation,
They want us to continue to forgive the abusers.

Why must our mothers continue to frantically weep
As preachers eulogize another young life extinguished?
The mourners pour out the liquor,
Paying homage to those who can no longer speak their dreams into existence.
The boys in blue will say they were provoked to use excessive force.
The boys in blue profess their innocence,
Their lawyers cross-examine the witnesses, they will vilify the dead.
They ignore our ancestors,
Never giving them the chance to testify.
And the jurors will never convict.
The abuser walks away free, never held accountable.
But we can't stop screaming:
The abuser needs to examine the horrors they have inflicted.

When will we realize this nation must learn to articulate its rage
And stop using minorities as scapegoats?
Why do we continue to wait for our voices of justice to be amplified?
Nobody knows how to get rid of this horrific stench that lingers.
We feed into this oppressive energy.

Dismantle this vicious cycle,
Stop infecting the youth with this hate.

Can the voices of love be amplified?
Can the injustice that spills out in the streets be healed?
We, the people, must push through the resistance.
This nation can no longer go back in time;
It must confront the dark history that continues to haunt us.