A baby is born,
smooth onyx skin.
strong.
beautiful.
and black.
room filled with cheer and praise,
laughter
and love.
and relief too.
But
no one notices….
(or everyone pretends not to notice)
that shadow
in the small of his back
darker,
than his black skin.
no one sees
the faint tattoo shaped like jagged crow.
Not even the father, who has the same.
the boy grows,
young, gifted
and black.
bright white eyes looking forward,
but no one ever tells him
what is always behind him.
one day however,
the looks and the whispers,
and questionable jokes-
punctuated
by exclamation marks
swinging from trees
add up.
eventually
he comes to know what has followed him
all
his
life.
some cut it right off and are free:
free of their fathers
free of their history
free to build anew, upon a cloud of shame.
some see it and know it,
and they hate it.
and that crow festers into a rot,
into a poison.
they are lost and feel hopeless
my brother
do not cut away
that which made us strong.
and do not curse
that which is already done.
embrace the pain.
and know
that behind that crow
a lion roars.
…..
A PRIDE OF LIONS ROAR
so its OK for you to Roar too
Happy Fourth of July.
Keep on, Keeping on.
A baby is born,
smooth onyx skin.
strong.
beautiful.
and black.
room filled with cheer and praise,
laughter
and love.
and relief too.
But
no one notices….
(or everyone pretends not to notice)
that shadow
in the small of his back
darker,
than his black skin.
no one sees
the faint tattoo shaped like jagged crow.
Not even the father, who has the same.
the boy grows,
young, gifted
and black.
bright white eyes looking forward,
but no one ever tells him
what is always behind him.
one day however,
the looks and the whispers,
and questionable jokes-
punctuated
by exclamation marks
swinging from trees
add up.
eventually
he comes to know what has followed him
all
his
life.
some cut it right off and are free:
free of their fathers
free of their history
free to build anew, upon a cloud of shame.
some see it and know it,
and they hate it.
and that crow festers into a rot,
into a poison.
they are lost and feel hopeless
my brother
do not cut away
that which made us strong.
and do not curse
that which is already done.
embrace the pain.
and know
that behind that crow
a lion roars.
…..
A PRIDE OF LIONS ROAR
so its OK for you to Roar too
Happy Fourth of July.
Keep on, Keeping on.
theDeprevation 