Cycling

I am nobody.

Who are you?

Are you nobody to?

 

I lived the perfect life.

Family of four raised in white people land.

White picket fences.

White lawn chairs scattered across the yard.

White pearly teeth flashed at you with every corner turned.

Or maybe,

 

I lived in torture.

Family of four striving to survive in white people land.

White picket fences begging me to stay away

White lawn chairs filled with white people staring me down

White pearly teeth smiling a fake smile of fear.

Well, maybe

 

I lived a lie.

White picket fences that portrayed perfect little town, but meant please don’t steal my flat screen.

White lawn chairs for comfort, yet chained preventing theft.

White pearly teeth telling me I did a good job;

For being a this or that.

But never for excelling past all else.

Well maybe, just maybe, I lived in confusion.

 

What is perfection anyway?

Some may contest that I lived in it,

Others may ensure I lived in hell.

I say I lived in a world of confusion.

 

Blacks hating whites for what they assumed to be racism, but rather was a fence.

Whites hating blacks because “that’s how they were raised”

But as soon as this is used as a defense mechanism in court for a black child’s bad behavior

It is a weak excuse not to be examined.

You see, US History is taught in schools before African and Native.

But who really built the “United” States?

Here would be the perfect line to quote Lauryn Hill and say,

“Forgive them father for they know not what they do” (Forgive them Father).

It would be perfect if it were true.

 

Just like you choose to teach US and European History

You choose to exclude Native and African roots.

Just like you chose to be rude to others because of their race,

You choose to be nice to others, no matter their personality, because of theirs.

Just like you choose to vote Obama,

You choose to not know his platform past Obamacare.

 

Your choice affects me.

My choice affects you.

You may choose to make me a nobody,

But in the end, what does that make you?

Comments

Additional Resources

Get AI Feedback on your poem

Interested in feedback on your poem? Try our AI Feedback tool.
 

 

If You Need Support

If you ever need help or support, we trust CrisisTextline.org for people dealing with depression. Text HOME to 741741