“Until” and “Pain”
Until
“I was with Black Lives Matter, until
they started rioting”
Until
Who started rioting?
Until
‘They’ started rioting?
Who
Is
They?
Black Lives Matter
But how do you know
the ones rioting was Black Lives Matter?
….
exactly
how can you tell,
do you know the difference
between Black Lives Matter
or Black indifference
of black frustration
or black opportunist
of black expectations
or black pessimist,
what do you know of black intent or black dissent,
of black exhaustion
of black relent,
of black insistence
to call a nation to be consistent,
or, of a black rising,
and a black resistance,
to call same nation
to BE resistant
to stand against racism
and racist content
against race peer pressure
and racist conscious,
So, what if blacks
who also could not tolerate this at all
what if this un equalness
was the impetus, the call
… what if there actually was a plan,
to use some intellect
to ‘stick it to the man’
so, what if it was
“another” group,
an “other” group,
an ‘a’ + ‘other’ group
who plotted & planned
a financial coup
not black lives matter
I’m talking about
no march
no megaphones to shout it out no posters
to mark what they were all about,
….just
a decision to hit ‘them’
where ‘they’ll notice it,
where ‘they’ can see it,
…minus life
…minus dollars
where ‘they’ can feel it
can’t ignore money,
America doesn’t ignore money everybody “feels” money
so since some can’t
“feel” black or human pain
what if the plan had a financial aim
like the one
who hung out with Maid Marian up rolled the cars,
up rolled the vans
the one best friends with
friar tuck
clothing, shoes
they ducked and they tucked
the one who’s buddy was
little john
because they were distracted -the ones with guns
since racist thoughts led to killing of blacks like robin hood,
what if this was the get back
a hero they called him
“Robin Hood”
what if these were hero’s too
just robbin, from the hood
what if like him,
who took from the rich and gave to the poor, they took from racists tolerant institutions, and gave back to the hood
throwing signs up against racism
not each other, “that’s good”
all ‘allegedly’,
cause I didn’t see nothing
(…although I did see some non blacks doing a lil something…)
but it was not Black Lives Matter
that is what I know
(and by saying that
I am NOT saying that I KNOW)
but what if this was a planned stance, get corporate attention
take a knock at finance
to take from the rich
and give to the poor
for plight of fellow citizens,
same companies ignored
companies
made of people, ran by people, owned by people who just sat by and watched,
knowing things were not equal
would you just watch someone get hit by a car
and do nothing
would you watch someone try to snatch a kid
and do nothing
when you have a million-billion-dollar company, and do nothing what is the way
to get your attention to do something
I’m sure the million-billion-dollars
spoke to local politicians
but this time,
was there even a difference
did they make a pact
to hire & promote black?
to show dark-brown-black girls
in adds they lacked
did they donate to the
the closest
black neighborhood
who’s ancestors
made this country,
richest in the world,
at which point does this country give back to them
these are your sisters, your brothers your country men, your kin
you don’t have to be,
a politician
you just need to be,
an equally concerned citizen
diffuse it,
before it begins,
then no need to worry
about the wrath of men
or citizens recking up
businesses or malls
because your apathy,
no longer offends or appalls
then helicopters
no longer have to hover & search
for some making a statement
with all that merch
just know
all people are not the same
all black people are not,
all whites, not the same
different types,
same cultural pot
So did Black Lives Matter start any riot? know THEY DID NOT
even news had footage & camera shots of cocktails thrown in wendy’s, trashcans, & at cops & of some whites spray painting walls,
& some seen stealing clothes at the mall, and yet no one, ACCUSED ALL WHITES
at all…
so don’t accuse ALL Black people,
NOT all
please,
no “new old” stereotypes,
‘ALL’ are not perfect,
neither black nor white
whether your hood, my hood
participate and understand, TODAY
you must stand for your fellow man
silence is not ok, no longer welcome in this land…
then maybe robin hood
can retire for good
sheriff of nottingham
or locals from the hood
as for now, I will leave you
with this last refrain
Black Lives Matter, started NO riots
All people are not the same
Pain
1 Pain Denise L Washington Pain…
I see Pain,
it’s happening again
Pain
That said
he wasn’t even a man
Pain that put
a Knee on a neck
same pain
that put
3 others on his back
Pain
that said it’s really ok to just sit on,
WATCH death walk up, and take him away
pain
inside a human?
made him go blind
excused all actions
and f up his mind.
2 Pain Denise L Washington
pain… ,
to make it ok…
“cold hearted”
“aggression used
in a planned way”
which path
a psychopath?
or a sociopath?
“erratic,” “rage prone” you do the math
…‘I can’t breathe’
human,
plus 1,
Can’t hear the human, minus 1
Won’t hear the human minus 2,
other voice saying the same minus 3,
inhuman too
minus 4,
the uniform
no room for individuality, takes its own form
blind absolute conformity
3 Pain Denise L Washington
minus 5,
same uniform
on the others…
same blind obedience,
same Hitler Mother
minus 6
did one speak just a little,
show MINIMAL courage
challenged,
back to ‘the pack’ he huddled
minus 7
did you really think,
‘Well, MY knee is not on his neck’ but YOUR knee was on his back so, his lungs collapsed
minus 8
I know we all understand
how Hitler came to be,
this time 4 cops,
last time whole country
minus 9
we all meet little points of pressure, some every day…
to go along “with the crowd” the right OR wrong way
4 Pain Denise L Washington
…minus 29 seconds…
a few seconds more
a public display of hate, disregard for life, “peer pressure” & mini-Hitler-obedience, took George
to heaven’s shore
…did you
see what I did?
Got to identify
HOW it happened,
& WHAT it is
cause
if we don’t,
we will ALL be
right back here again,
it might be YOUR father, it might be YOUR friend
Is there a difference,
or are YOU the same?
What have you done
to NOT repeat the pain? Or
Do
you
really
want to
live this again?
