Those People

I guess they were hoping to beat the the fight out of us

scare the life out of us

To stuff peaceful resistance down our throats

keep us quiet and complacent

while they drag us through the mud

back us into a corner like scared, hungry dogs

drive the pigment from our skin and rename it fear.

The man on the TV told me I should be ashamed

that we are responsible for the broken windows, the bottles, the fires the flames

I turned it off wrote a letter, etched it on my heart

and said it is you who will be judged

Not by the system which was never designed to protect us

but by the eyes of the world- you who will be on the wrong side of history.

His words echoed in my head “those people have no morals”

Well…

those people are dying to live

those people are preparing for the day when their sons and daughters don’t come home

those people are praying to Gods with shrugged shoulders and closed eyes who have yet to respond

those people are keeping their hands raised-high

those people are watching their movements

those people will be documented in your history books

and the pages will read “if only we had cared a little bit more, we might have stopped this injustice”

those people will endure, as they always have.

those people are talking about the revolution

You can get on board or sleep with one eye open

those people are realising how powerful they can be

and those people will not allow another Emmett, Trayvon, Amadou, Sean, Melvin, Bo, Rekia, Yvette, Aiyanna, Miriam, Tamir, Pearlie, Jordan, Eric, Dante, Michael RIP

if a riot is the language of the unheard don’t you think it’s time that you start listening?