Poems and Pearls

DEAR AMERICAN WORLD 

 

Before being anything, 

I am a child of God and a human being.

​

Dear American World, 

I'm starting to feel.

The truth is, 

I had already started to feel a long time ago, 

ever since I was a child, 

ever since I was Black.

I remember these days, 

these ways, 

Black men, murdered by police officers. 

I remember them, I see them. 

They keep me revolted.

I thought justice would be served,

It was never served.

As if nothing had ever happened, 

as if the lives of those victims weren't worthy of being taken into consideration, 

as if the voice, the angry voice, 

of millions of people

was not worthy of being taken into consideration

because it was 'black'. 

Rodney King type of situation 

painted my heart with fear of the institution.

What institution? Our protection?

Not for people with my complexion. 

Not for people with my history, my features, this story.

Who brought us to this world?

To the New World, 

the nation of God, the land of freedom and equality?

Who made us suffer, beg, pray, wish, fight, demonstrate, cry?

We are in a place we were never meant to be

and yet they keep blaming us for it.

There is no progress.

Not only do I feel for these families, for myself

I also feel for the climate, the social context,

the environment, the future, the people, 

the blessings that America is missing

because it is sinning

against the very God it keeps insulting. 

America, 

You praise us for our black girl magic, 

but what you're doing to our boys is tragic.

You listen to our music, 

watch our shows.

You want us but you don't want us.

You kill us.

America, you kill me, my people, my dreams, my hope 

every time you celebrate the death of an innocent man

because of this very innocence.

But what should I expect from you?

I believe in a higher form of living than your so-called justice and protection.

I believe in a higher form of loving, not hypocrite, pure and delivering.

My God is not a liar.

No, America I don't believe in you.

But I believe in change. 

I believe in action and courage, 

I believe in perseverance, 

I believe in Love for all creatures.

The truth is we're through with it.

Open your eyes; 

Racism, hatred and violence; we're here.

America, 

make the end of this be near. 

p.