The Tides

Thu, 06/10/2021 - 16:11 -- jbenn24

we sink, we swim, we rise, we fall — we meet our fate together.

 

sink.

 

sinking below the waves of oppression,

choking and suffocating in her tides.

longing to find air,

freedom,

the freedom to breath,

to live, 

but living is far out of these waves,

these chains,

 

fight.

 

fighting to survive,

fighting to breathe,

 

swim.

hoping and praying to reach the shore,

each crashing waves tells a story of its history,

the story of its glory?

no the story of its pain,

it’s hate,

it’s lies,

it’s stains.

sucking every bit of life you have left,

forced to be silent by its claws.

why are we put in chains- shh!

Why do you dismiss our pain- shh!

Can you at least explain- shh!!

Stephon Clark- shh!!

Trayvon Martin- shh!!

Gabriella Navrez- shh!!

Tamir Rice- shh!!

Tanisha Anderson- shh!!

Philando Castile- shh!!

George Floyd- shh!!

Breoanna Taylor- shh!!

 

rise.

 

as you reach the shore,

the tides have not left,

clogging up your nostrils,

filling up your lungs,

 

cough.

 

try and get rid of the pain,

rid of the memories,

but the worn out clothes,

tattered shoes,

are a reminder of tides,

the tides you can’t escape,

the tides remain your fate.

 

fall.

 

accept defeat,

be who the tides want you to be,

told you to be,

beat and molded you to be,

rock bottom,

sinking to rise no more,

 

Fate. 

 

as you crawl, 

you hear the songs of freedom,

songs of hope.

the silenced voices of the tides.

you look around you see others.

others just like you,

beat down and bruised,

tattered and worn,

but yet the stand.

stand despite defeat,

stand despite the scars,

stand despite the pain,

stand despite the truth,

so with all the strength you have left you stand.

Stand and sing the songs of freedom.

And while your worn clothes,

And your bruised up skin,

And your blurred vision,

And your clogged airways say otherwise,

You join hands with your brothers and sisters 

And sing the songs of our ancestors,

We sing with their pain in mind,

Their hope in mind,

A hope that as transcended generations,

A hope of better tomorrow,

Outside the tides.

 

This poem is about: 
Me
My community
Our world
Poetry Terms Demonstrated: 

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