Black and White

In Russian, a "sentence" of words 
Doesn't origin from criminal world. 
In Russian, "sentence" equals "offer" - 
Though we fail to practice that often. 
Patience and challenge - 
For her brain and my heart, 
They say it takes practice. 
For the same reasons that

she wants money and success, 
I want justice. 
While I'll be "offered" 
She might be "sentenced." 
The society is senseless 
With beautiful and dense 
Skin tones we are from the same world 
Living different destinies, 
Trying to mold 
Privilege and oppression. 
Unable to give away my possession, 
I'm using it painfully 
To help end pain, and carefully 
Trying to preserve lives, so precious 
They'll rise
To smash the oppression 
With Black Power, 
To transform 
The White supremacy flower 
From a murderer into a lover, 
into a hero from being a coward. 
"White," don't keep your face covered 
It isn't your fault 
but it's in your power

to help others to stop

being hurt.

Reviews

[kdlaw]

I love the line "with beautiful and dense skin tones we are from the same world." Hmm, somedays I wonder if this is true or is there an unknown home that awaits me where the content of my character will truly outweigh the color of my skin.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, kdlaw. My view of this issue is that racism, white supremacy, and colonialism are universal everywhere, and unfortunately, permeate the whole world. Of course, oppression should be viewed and analyzed intersectionally and multidimensionally, but in this particular poem I was referring to my partner who is Black, and myself as a white woman. Despite us both living in the same US's state, and having somewhat similar position in the society as college students, we have different life experiences because of persistent racism.