once baptized
with time
all
previous crimes
are to be forgotten
offenses of morality
are
washed away
and
we are encouraged
to
forgive
forgiveness
society’s masquerade
the transubstantiation
of
immoral acts
into
the divine law
of
man
so
unjust deaths
from
prejudice
religious intolerance
and
corporate profit taking
are to be seen
as
purified
by
the passage of time
politicos say
we must
forget
transgressions
in order
to move forward
but
forgiveness
is impossible
when
standing
among
the graves
of those
who died
for
the illusion
of
justice
ain’t got
no fancy
iambic pentameter
to wrap around
my words
nor
sweet rhythms
to conceal
the crimes
of our time
no metaphors
for the sounds
of bullets
ripping
the flesh
of children
huddled with fear
in their classrooms
can’t find
an anonomatopoeia way
to say
the gun lobby
is french kissing
dollars
into the mouths
of senators
so they’ll
turn a blind eye
to the streets and classrooms
flowing
with innocent blood
but they ain’t
the only ones
refusing to see
that racism
defines this nation
and perhaps
the entire white world
for tears are shed
when ukrainian children die
but not even a sigh
is heard
when children starve
to death
in africa and bangladesh
or
children are struck down
by an israeli drone
there’s no fixed meter
that can convey
the absolute sadness
of parents
with their child’s death
no poet can ever
capture the emotions
for such an event
we merely stutter
our thoughts in words
onto the page
hoping to express
our personal rage
at the inhumanity
of mankind
a broken down
old man
just
a bag
of
bones
but
he’s
the
intended result
of
systemic injustice
in
an apartheid
or
caste system society
a government society
with
or
without
the label
democracy
anyway
such labels
merely conceal
the oppressor’s
identity
behind
some flag draped
excuse
for
the oppression
in reality
the only thing
that matters
is
that in the end
of
the social processing
you end up with
a broken down
old man
just
a bag
of
bones
who’s preoccupied
with
survival
and
is unable
to do
anything else
Read Between the Minds 