...must be something we can do

years of waiting…

counting tears like so many stars
bodies like blades of grass…
what can we do to stop
the slaughter of the innocent
the incarceration of our hope
the miseducation of our future
the inebriation of our leaders

have we come this far
in time
and space
only to be
left out
only to be
clowns in a circus
or
horses in a race
did nat turner
and
marcus garvey
and
charles drew
and
medgar evers
live
for
nothing
has the spirit of
our story
been tricked out of us
or have we gladly
traded our birthright
for assimilation
and
inclusion into
a club
where we were hired to be
busboys
and maids

struggle we must
nothing is greater than
the peace we seek
or
the truth we know