18.06.2020

Here I am, this is me

Here I stand, for you to see

I’ll take a moment to describe,

as I see it, through my eyes,

“I don’t see color”, “I don’t see race”

How is that possible? Just look at my face,

I’m the union of black and white,

Born from love not from spite,

Routed Knowledge of days that had “passed”.

Memories that burn, too painful to ask.

Then in the distance I heard them cry,

And something, suddenly, boiled up inside.

First came the guilt, for this sound was an echo.

I heard it, I felt it, familiar I know.

How had I accepted a life so unfair?

So much suffering and so much despair.

Not only for black people, but for so many.

Disillusioned. Conditioned. Lacking empathy.

Then came the pain, suddenly “I can’t breathe”,

Every inch of me hurts, my words escape me.

As I sink, you watch, scared to pull me out.

What if I pull you in, and then we both drown?

Flailing in the sea, I reach out my hand,

Whilst all I needed was to hear that you understand,

That you know what pain feels like,

that you hear me when I speak,

That we’re not alone in this, as we turn the other cheek.

That what they feel we feel, connected as we are.

Every living organism, the universe, the stars.

The only time, I felt I needed you, to know that you’re there,

To feel your presence, your embrace, to know that you care

Let’s talk about it, let’s fix it, let’s at least try,

Let’s seize the moment, together, this can’t pass us by,

It’s not us and them, black or white,

For a day is not a day, if there is no night,

Change comes from the top, or so some say,

If you’re reading this then you made it, today is your day,

We don’t need to feel helpless, we can help each other,

We can choose to keep going, solving one after another,

Be here. Be present. We’ve only one life.

We can make a difference, we just need to try.