To me this is nothing new
Another black man killed on the news
I try to stay positive but still sing the blues
How can I stay lifted when they keep tearing me down?
How can I let my voice be heard without making a sound?
I wonder if I’m next or if I’m just another number
Because I sit here thinking about all the black live lost this summer
I’m only seventeen just trying to survive
I want to be like my idols, you know the ones still alive
The ones who had wives, families, jobs, ambitions
Why do I feel like no one is listening?
I just want to live my life and have fun
And not think that every officer thinks I have a gun
But how can I be fed up and tired
When all the other kids want more to be desired
You know what I’ll be the change, the positive motion
And embrace my color, my hair, and cocoa butter lotion
Because for me it was when I was eleven
Still in middle school just tryna’ get even
Then I heard a name on the tv that night
Another boy, the same age as me, his name was Tamir Rice
I was confused at the time not really understanding, you see
That a kid could get shot who looked just like me
Don’t worry y’all, don’t sweat it, we’ll get there
Because we stand for equality it’s only fair
So, when you say that this poem is for us
The world needs more love, more acceptance, and more trust
Photo credit: RandyRooi@pixabay.com
