Crushed ant hills smashed into the earth
By large and clumsy feet
Only I see the tiny lives being changed
By the feet not caring whose world is crushed
Only I see the remnants of homes lined in sidewalk cracks
Because I am the only one looking down
Eyes slanted to the path in front of me
Never high and mighty like those who are truly free
I am ashamed to look up
While they are all too proud to look down
And they stomp.
And they crush.
Thousands of lives with their clumsy feet
Never worrying about dimes or which seat to take
Their feet carry them to crush my rights
Like those ants, we are crushed
We cannot go where we please
Unless you are pleased first
No Plessy v. Ferguson to heed your heels
My separate is not equal
The fountain from where my water comes
Is tainted black with hate and-
although you have yet to see,
It will no longer be you and me.
For one day it will finally be we.
I will not have to work a meager pay,
while you hide by night under sheets of white.
Burning my churches
Killing those of us who dare to speak
And those who dare to take your seat.
Our eyelashes may bat at who we please
Without your bat taking us to our knees-
For a Till murdered too young for liking the wrong one
Kill Evans and Allen, Jackson and Moore
Those who died for simply being alive
Well you best listen up!
For we are speaking
We are rising
And we are fighting!
For equality we will die
But for freedom we will live