Leah's Poem
*Say their names*
Say their names, say their names with me
Say it until we’re dead on the tatami
Say it for them
Sing it like our anthem
One day, one dead
One day, one head
And yes, that’s what it’s like to be black
The justice system’s wack
Justice is what we lack
Police doesn’t even have our back
The government’s on crack
Then they wonder why we want to scream like Cardi?
Because yes we’re pressed
Because we’re oppressed
And that makes us depressed
And everyone’s dead silent in the press
The only blacks they care about are the West’s
Show their faces
So they get cases
What are you mad for?
Is that because we use metaphors?
I know, we’re really up score
If you feel bad, you can hit the door
Like they did with the floor
You’re fed up? Wait there’s even more
Yeah I know, truth’s really hardcore
No truth, no truce
Your soul’s going to be sore
And then you’ll be "sorry"
Oh, this hurts your hearts?
Cool, that’s what I’m here for
After all it’s not a crime to make good rhymes
You call them the d-word
Do you know what has happened before?
Rest in power
Share it to the world
Burn the cops
Because of them we have trauma we need to cope with
All of that because they thought he was a thief
Now I have to deal with grief
They still lynch us but don’t use ropes
Does that mean that we can have hope?
If we don’t fight who will? The Pope?
You know that the answer’s nope
Now you’re cosplaying us?
Did you have to sit at the back of the bus?
Assaulting us isn’t funny
Neither is killing my homie
and it isn’t better to steal my money
Raping us isn’t robbery
Since we aren’t anyone’s property
It’s just a felony
We worth more than a dime
Attacking us is a crime
We’ll fight for our rights and our safety
One day at night we’ll dream properly
« Not all cops are bad »
« Then where were the good ones to save my dad? »
We thought things would change
But at life we don’t have any chance
We get money now but barely the minimum wage
We are more likely to die than the average
And they still wonder why we feel this rage
We get killed before we get engaged
And when we do, we get killed too
Keep my life out of your politics
Keep your mouth out of my ethics
Keep all those fake apologies
You say racism ended
But why are we dying because of a cop’s hand?
Because he thought I was in a gang?
I was parking my Range Rover
No drugs, no weapon, I was totally sober
If I would have known I would have gotten home sooner
I was playing games, I thought that was fun
I went for a run
I thought they had peace to offer
Then he pulled out his gun
I realized that I was wrong and now the game’s over.
WRITTEN BY:
Leah Klaer, she/her, Black tee