Journal / Seminary Journals

Dear Black Boy

Poem
By Fatimah Abdul-Zahir
Published May 30, 2020
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So

dear black boy

Some words of advice

I sculpt my words with worry

Because I fear for your life

 

Did you hear of the man who almost lost his

After a high speed chase

He was pulled from his car

And thrown on his face

As if they forgot this is a person

Who is

Apart of the human race

No

Instead they beat him mercilessly

Leaving him with 11 skull fractures

Broken bones and teeth

And brain damage permanently

His life changed forever

On this day forgotten by none

Rodney king

beaten

March 3, 1991

 

So

Dear black boy

Some words of advice

I sculpt my words with worry

Because I fear for your life

 

Did you hear of the boy who lost his

Because he was walking a little too suspicious

That arizona watermelon drink looked

A little too close to being a gun

And the skittles ammunition

A 7/11 run is way to risky

When youre 5’11

And black

The scales of life and death

Become a little bit shifty

Just ask Trevon Martin

Who was 17

uncertain of life

If only he knew

his last day would be

February 26, 2012

So

dear black boy

Some words of advice

I sculpt my words with worry

Because of fear for your life

 

Did you hear of the man who lost his

Because apparently the accusation

Of him selling single cigarettes from packs

Without a tax stamp

Is punishable by death

They slung their arms around his neck

And stole his breath

“I can't breathe, I can't breathe”

He struggled to say

Until he fell limp and weak

Eric garner

His death

July 17, 2014

 

So

Dear black boys

Some words of advice

I sculpt my words with worry

Because I fear for your life

Did you hear of the boy who lost his

Because playing with a toy gun

is far to dangerous

A threat to those who have real ones

Who intend to use them

On a 12 year old boy

Barely a teen

Tamir rice

November 22, 2014

 

So dear black boy some words of advice,

I sculpt my words with worry

because I fear for your life

Did you hear of the man who lost his?

After his attempt to use $20 presented itself as counterfeit.

They say money is the root of all evil,

Is it because it only seems to affect black people

The average person cannot breathe without three minutes of air,

They must have considered him a super human, or to a human, they didn’t even compare.

On his neck they kneeled for 8 minutes, and at 9 they finished their business,

This black life lost is one of plenty

George Floyd was murder,

May 25, 2020

 

To all my black boys

I fear for your future

Because it seems the justice system

Is a crooked, unruly structure

The demons within it

Trying to cut short your future

While you stand in your present

Wondering

If the next police shooter

Will be standing in front of you

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