Blinded

What happens 

When a country is built on hate?

When people fled from prosecution but 

Brought that violence 

Across the ocean with them? And 

The stones were laid 

By the “founding fathers” over 

Blood and tears and 

The lives 

Of the owners of this land?

What happens when the ones who truly built 

The foundation

Lived and died as slaves

Carrying the weight of that violence and passing it on for 

Generations 

And generations 

And generations?

The line between past 

Present and future 

blurrs

When masses are marginalized and 

Shoved out 

Voices 

S  i  l  e  n  c  e  d . 

I wonder if our forefathers, the founding fathers knew what their actions would lead to, would they have done it the same? Did they ask themselves “What happens when a country is built on hate?”Or were their egos too big? Were they too determined and dedicated and driven by their own ideals and ideas that no one stopped to look beyond themselves? Do they look down on us now and regret? Wish they had opened their eyes? Do they see their country breaking under the strain and pain of its people? Do they look down on us now and regret?

L o o k   a r o u n d .

What do you see?

Do you see the people here 

Festering 

Like an infected wound 

The pathogens of hate and fear 

Woven right through the fabric of our flag

Crisscrossing our streets and our hearts 

Like distorted crosswalks?

Do you see the people hiding in 

P L A I N  S I G H T 

Hopeless and pushed away 

Cowering and afraid?

The people harassed and assaulted and degraded?

Whose humanity is stolen?

The people taken prisoner in cages of bars and decisions and dreams?

The people barely holding on?

The people blind to it all?

The people living so much in their worlds their own heads 

That nothing breaks the glass distorted and frosted

with selfishness that they look through?

Do you see the people struggling to 

Mend the tears in the tissue of equality?

The people fighting the spider that 

Entangles us 

Intent on destroying us 

Intent on entrapping us in webs of lies and bribes?

The people already poisoned by her?

The people with eyes filled with contempt 

Waving guns and flags?

The people yelling and shouting and screaming but who 

Still cannot hear one another?

The people who have given up?

The people standing on the edge just watching?

The people wishing and hoping and praying and manifesting 

A different destiny and yet still

The world does not change?

Do you see yourself?

Do you see anyone else?

Of course not.

How could we as a people see each other clearly when

There are walls up 

Guards up

Barriers up

That might as well be made of stone

Because our bones

Break and shatter from bullets of excruciating, never-ending violence 

Our hearts are destroyed 

Piece by piece and 

All we can do is grieve

When the walls are 

Reinforced with hatred and stinging barbs of misunderstanding

How can we clearly see each other?

We stand by and force children and teachers who cannot choose what books to read

Lay 

Down 

Their 

Lives

For a right that has been manipulated

Misinterpreted

Misunderstood for far too long

What will it take for us to face one another?

Another innocent Black man or woman murdered because we refuse to fix a system we

Know is broken?

Will it take more rights being threatened, more voices silenced?

Another mass shooting?

Because there have been over 200 this year and we haven’t changed a god***n thing.
Will it take another war?

We forget

That people are suffering and dying every day simply for being the 

Wrong color or the wrong religion or the wrong gender 

or being on the wrong side of an invisible line.

When does it stop? 

When can we make ourselves stop? 

And yes, we. you, and i, and every person here, every person not here. This is not an impersonal plea, this is each and every one of us responsible for the world we live in. 

How can we make ourselves stop?

When we only look through frosted glass, or we don’t look at all?

We will never see each other clearly, unless we open our eyes to the sins we commit and support,

Until we let go. 

Until we learn to love, truly love. 

Until we have radical empathy, rather than radical beliefs. 

Until we can all breathe, not hated and not hateful

We will not change our trajectory

Towards infinite pain

Until we change. 

So look around. Open your eyes and break through the frosted glass.

What do you see?