A Gentle Stand

Poem inspired by the controversy surrounding Rachel Jeantel, a witness, a friend of the late Trayvon Martin.

She speaks with her bottom lip

Eyes tight like space on slave ships

"White man you understand me", she thinks. Then blinks,

"What did you say?" Creepy White cracker N***a keeps following me.

It echoes of our past...back when we were "black only".

Ask me about what they took from us. 

Creepy White cracker. Front of the bus.

It's sad. Last call. 

The deafening silence of it all...

And let us not ignore the elephant in the room, me, Jeantel, Black as Ink. 

You, White as chalk. Smirking at me, laughing it off.

Never will your friend DIE for being himself.

TAKE MY TESTIMONY.

I ain't got nothing left. 

And yes, Yo' crackers ears understand these words. 

Keep smiling and I will show you just what I would have done

If I was Trayvon. 

If I was Trayvon.

Don't push me. Don't go another step further. I know what she said. I heard her!

"Yes sir; my friend is dead."

"Yes sir, I am American."

"Yes sir, that cracker killed him."

"No sir, I'm NOT afraid."

I, black as the sin of your resentment.

Black as the night of your lies and shame.

Black as the souls of those who fight and die for our liberty. 

Black as these words. Black as me. 

Lets talk. If slavery truly ended in 1865 my homeboy, right now, would still be alive.

You telling me I'm alive, but I ain't breathing.

I ain't never lived, yet you still trying to kill me!

She speaks with her bottom lip. Eyes tight like space on slave ships.

I JUST WANT TO GO HOME. Stop looking at me. Leave me alone!

I am brown. I am black. I am worthy of my name. 

You followed me to my country. You followed me to my wealth. 

You led me backwards to the Hell 

in 

which 

we sit. 

I ain't got nothing left. 

Naw, His parents ain't together. For 300 years you sold us apart. Judged us by our physical, not by our hearts. Not BUY our hearts.

Now on the stand where I sit being as Jeantel as it gets, 

from a child who has heard it all.

With cake and ice cream you celebrate the birthdays he has lost.

"Yes sir, I hear, I see, I feel it all..."

I was the last call.

Reviews

[Relic]

Your anger as attributed to his friend is understandable seeing all that's happened/is happening to black people in this country. As a white person( cracker as you put it) I don't understand the mentality of people that would designate anything "for blacks only." I don't understand why children and adults would smile under the body of a black man hanging from a tree. I also don't know why so many shootings are becoming so commonplace lately.

I have no answers. I don't see it getting better anytime soon either with such animosity still fresh in the air. I see your feelings being displayed here vicariously through someone else. That's your choice. I didn't see many reviews for it so I thought I'd let you know that not all white people are bad. But hopefully you already knew that.

[charlotte talley]

this is very powerful, well written and I agree with it.

[Sirius King]

Powerful!





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