White privilege
Though we condemn it
And act resistant
It continues to plague us
And test what we are made of
It is showcased in every look as we pass by
We never have to go for a run with people having questions in their eyes
Thinking we must be leaving the scene of a crime
We never have to worry about getting pulled over because we were slightly speeding
And being unnecessarily restrained while cops search the car for dope
Gunned in broad daylight because we were wearing a suspicious looking hoodie with pockets that made us look like we were reaching for a gun
Or live with the fear that someone might come by in the night
And arrest us for a crime we never committed
Or worse shoots us through the door more than 20 times
Gunning us down in the middle of the night
In our homes
In a raid gone wrong
Or when we are strong-armed by cops who insist
They are on the side of the law
we never have to worry about a brawl
or being teargassed in the mall
or made to fall on the ground
and being further restrained
to the point where we can’t even breathe
and die a death of agony
even when we say please
Our world today is ******* up
And torn affray
By racism that has never really gone away
Because hatred and fear
Lead the way
Instead of humanity
And equality
And human rights
That are not represented by the cops, courts, and government leaders
Who like to preach these things our way
We are also accomplices to this
We like to scream injustice and flash the cameras
And act like we have always stood on justices’ side
When these horrendous acts take place
But that is not enough
We have to make it an everyday case
This can’t be the new normal
This is not okay
Racism is not here to stay
We must be vocal, resistant, and fight injustice
In the everyday
And not act as bystanders or co-creators of hate
So the Breonna Taylor’s, Ahmaud Arbery’s, and George Floyd’s
Of this world might just be saved
Instead of casualties of this inherent hate
America continues to propagate

Opinions

Opinions
They are a rifle fully cocked
Ready to go into battle
Until the enemy fully concedes
Or is eliminated without any dignity

Opinions
They are pesky little tics
Imbedding themselves into every inch of the skin
Finding a home and ******* you thin


Opinions
They are a bulldozer
Come to take your home
And trying to rebuild who you are
Into something flashier and more sound


Opinions
They are that soup
That goes down scalding and smooth
Warming the insides like something to renew
But when they are wrong
They leave behind blisters on the tongue
That change the way you talk and the way you sound

Opinions
They are an oracle
A riddle
Without facts to support their claims
Claiming a destiny that is yours for the taking
But sometime faulty in their ravings


So next time you look to opinions remember,
they are deceiving and sometimes manipulative
only looking out for their own interests
they can be cruel and penetrating
seeking to annihilate
rather than something to create
they can raze or they can renew
don’t let them destroy what makes up you

In the silence of myself
I see the world for what it should be
A place of mystery and unlocked dreams
That rip me at the seams

In the silence of myself
I see a shimmering reflection
I smile and wave
She smiles and waves back
Greeting me because she’s the one that knows me best
She is me

In the silence of myself
The static of the world is drowned out
And I hear a voice that demands I listen
It says, “You’ve got this”
Carry out your mission
Her voice is mine

In the silence of myself
I hear the pound of shoes on pavement
As they patter along and set a trail of their own making
Those shoes are my shoes

In the silence of myself
A mouth that would normally move
Telling of every doubt that would consume her
Remains quiet
Her mouth is my mouth

In the silence of myself
A body moves through time
Trusting herself to open her eyes
And always listen to herself
Without compromising who she is
For anyone else