The Poetic Political
Fumings of a Feisty Feminist
Making waves of change, one poem at a time.
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“I can’t breathe” George gasps and pleads His life begins to fade. The policeman kneels Upon his neck Refusing any aid. Nine minutes pass Nine minutes too long Because of 20 bucks. What’s a life worth Depends on your color ‘Cuz some don’t give two fucks. Photo by Josh Hild @ unsplash.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/30/video-timeline-george-floyd-death/?arc404=true
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If it weren’t for the videos
Would we know the truth How black people Are murdered daily In America At the hands of white men? How many deaths Have gone unknown Misled Hidden From the truth? How much have we missed Because there wasn’t a camera To record the beatings And their last breath? Yet some still refuse to see What is right before them Too frightened by the sight Of their own racist thoughts. Ignorance is bliss When hiding ones secrets In the shadows Of supposed superiority. It’s such a challenge
Every day Being straight In a world that’s gay Fired because You want to be you Marry your love And say “I do” Beaten and murdered Lives ripped apart Simply because You loved with your heart A man shouldn’t die For loving his wife Or be imprisoned For the rest of his life Love is love No matter with who Especially when You find love that’s true Wait, say what? I was mistaken? It’s gays not straights Who are forsaken. Oops, my bad I was smoking a joint. But maybe, just maybe I’ve made my point. https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/03/world/same-sex-laws-map-intl/index.html What have we become
Wishing death to those in need Then laugh as they lay dying Can’t you hear their haunting pleas? You say that you’re a Christian You say that you’re Pro-life Yet you cheer their deathly demise With passion that is rife. Humanity is buried ‘Neath your partisan politics You shout your hateful words As you hold your crucifix. I recently read an article about a Trump Rally where the audience cheered as someone shouted to shoot the immigrants at the border. I couldn't help but ask myself, "What have we become?" https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/05/09/shoot-them-trump-laughs-off-supporters-demand-violence-against-migrants/?utm_term=.7e407a9ff480 Jewish, Muslim, Christian
All spiritual competition. First dictated Texts created Then translated Into religious hatred Now indoctrinated Their destiny fated. Our sisters and our brothers Murdering each other. What of “Love one another”? Pick and choose your verse Quite the colossal curse. God is not around To clarify and expound. Never stopping to consider There will never be a winner. So we continue down this path And mourn the aftermath. From the Christian victims in Sri Lanka, to the Muslim victims in New Zealand and the Jewish victims in Pittsburgh…religious hatred is a global epidemic. We’re shutting down on Christmas
We’re closing all our doors We’re building a big wall Built by our Army corps. Immigrants are banned Leave and go back home We don’t want you to pollute Our perfect white genome. Drugs, crime, and rapists Are all that you will bring Scream the red-faced yelling men From the panicked far right-wing. Mothers and their babies Are radical guerrillas Trained in special ops To be murderers and killers Absurd, you say? I thought so too But oh how wrong we are For the political paranoia Has gotten quite bizarre Tis the reason for the season To send those in need away We’ll call you names And throw you back Then sit at home and pray. "Build the Wall!”
We hear them call Eager enthrall A wall to install Lack wherewithal Ladder protocol Orange neanderthal Political overhaul I need alcohol. I mourn for democracy that has been wrought with presidential lies.
I mourn for my country that was once led with truth, justice, and reason. I mourn for my children who will grow up in the land of the caged and afraid. I mourn for my fellow countrymen, as we become torn apart by hatred and bigotry. I mourn as the “American Dream” has become a nightmare for too many. Tonight I mourn. Tomorrow, I fight. With stricter punishments they dread education. Then we skip their names on job applications. Faced with hunger they run out of time, Left with no choice except a life of crime. Tossed in jail with no other options, Casualties of our own corruption. “Black Lives Matter!” we hear their voices. In a world that has given them so few choices. Our biases create their sad demise, And as far as I can truly surmise, Being white does have its special benefits When skin color becomes our main emphasis Please listen up and change our ways So as not to repeat our yesterdays. Upon reading the book "Just Mercy" by Brian Stevenson, he makes the claim that one in three male African American boys born in 2001 will be incarcerated during some time in their life. This statistic has been questioned, but it is still alarming even if it is 1 in 4, or 1 in 5. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/06/16/the-stale-statistic-that-one-in-three-black-males-has-a-chance-of-ending-up-in-jail/?utm_term=.864959a7f949
Research shows black children are punished more harshly for the same issues at school: http://getschooled.blog.myajc.com/2014/12/27/research-shows-black-students-punished-more-severely-why-dont-schools-believe-it-and-fix-it/ Research shows black named job applicants get fewer call backs than their white named counterparts: http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/mar/15/jalen-ross/black-name-resume-50-percent-less-likely-get-respo/ We mourn the loss of life As the hateful speech spews The alt-right’s angry actions Ignited like a fuse. The torches that they carried And the anger in their eyes. History repeats itself With the Nazi’s new reprise. It contaminates our country With their vile words of venom As they try so desperately To create a new world Armageddon. Even from our President, The leader of our land, Turning the deadly protest Into his personal grandstand. In Charlottesville we saw The havoc that can wreak When the President of our country Doesn’t think before he speaks. I wrote this after reading the news story about the death of Heather Heyer during the Charlottesville protests and counterprotests. Her mother refused to speak to the President, stating he should “Think before you speak”. http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/18/politics/heather-heyer-susan-bro-donald-trump/index.html
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Poetry by: AsherahAlthough she was selectively edited out of the Bible two thousand years ago, she raises her voice for women today in hopes of a better tomorrow, as she makes waves of change, one poem at a time. Archives
May 2020
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