Colouring White Supremacy
Looking back on errors of judgment
I wince and squirm
—no-one else is to blame
for this wormlike visit
yes it was passed down to me
by people in places of authority
some who now make me wince
as I watch scenes of cruelty
and torture to the innocent
natural animals shriveling
back into shadows—they
do not make me feel bad
they make me examine
what I’d rather not look at
yet understand that I must
if I want to be fully human
before I die.
Guilt comes from thinking
after the swaggerbrag.
I don’t want you to feel guilty
I want us all to begin again
to breathe deeply
to say sorry to those I hurt
to point out injustice
when I see it
without fear of being punished
by the haters and honkers
planning a future where they
will win no matter what.
But white on white can’t be seen.
And to win something I didn’t deserve
is to lose dignity.
No comments:
Post a Comment