lesser men…

a game
of
cat and mouse
observed
by
buzzards
where
two
of
the same species
are
convinced
via
history
that
one
is
the lesser
but
both
have been
told
that
the other
is
the
lesser
so
in order
to
preserve
the
natural order
of
the universe
one
must be demeaned
and
destroyed
at
every
opportunity
and
to
the victor
nothing
but
more of the same
but
the
carcasses 
belong
to
the
buzzards
who
instigated
the
whole
damn thing
in
the
beginning

nothing to do with luck…

drawing cards
from
the stacked deck
of
life
a game
of
catch 22
for
blacks
where
draws
are always 
bad
and
without fail
lead
to
the players
being
dealt
out

 

 

a sudden loss of cabin pressure…

what shall we place
on
america’s gravestone
here lies
a nation
aborted
by
its greed
and
intolerance
of
its
own history
or
an unborn promise
made
with its fingers crossed
concealed
behind
a back of hate
and
prejudice
all
the while
scripting words
constituting
a justification
for
continuation
of
an oligarchy
but
with
more than
one
king
a feudal state
with
all the trappings
of
the middle ages

 

 

steady as a rock…

all those marches
for folks murdered by police
can’t sway the scales of justice
the fulcrum’s rusted
nothing can move it

 

 

republican voter suppression…

shadows of yesterday
lingering behind closed eyes
muted moments of life
held in fear‘s bondage
to make freedom unobtainable

winter does not end…

rusted shackles
remnants of enslavement
shackles reforged as ink pens
legal papers drafted
renaissance of bondage

 

missionary work…

 

after returning home
to
africa
a friend
wrote
don’t mean
any
offense
but
after
studying history
and
seeing
what’s
recently transpired
your nation
has
never been
as
advertised
united

 

legal injustice …

pair of old work boots
sold as if they were brand new
like promised freedom
but boots have structural flaws
they don’t have any bootstraps

 

bequeathed…

these
are
inherited tears
part
of
our estate
for
over two hundred years
of
enslavement
oh
it’s not
that
there weren’t
other items
business accounts
land
and
such
but
those were
appropriated
along with
personal dignity
in order
to justify
a false sense
of
superiority
of
primitive people
who
left to their own devices
were
unable to survive
in
a truly competitive world
so
were given
what
was ours
so
we were left
with
inherited tears
and
rage

herd immunity…

group resistant to
the rule of law and justice
because of their badge