Five-Fifty in Bed

"FIVE-FIFTY IN BED"

Poem derived from my first completed journal, Black and Blue (2018-2019). Written May 23rd 2018.

~~~~~~~

THEY ARE NOT SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS,

MR. PRESIDENT:

THEY ARE MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

THEY ARE NOT "UNIDENTIFIED 17-YEAR OLD

BLACK MALE WITH A HOODIE"

*OR*

"UNIDENTIFIED WHITE HISPANIC 15-YEAR OLD

FEMALE WITH HOOPS EARRINGS WENT MISSING ON MAY 23RD FROM EAST TREMONT" MISS NEWS REPORTER.

THEY ARE MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

HE'S NOT "YOUNG BLACK TEEN KILLED FOR BULLYING"

AND HE'S CERTAINLY NOT

"BULLIED GAY TEEN"

INSTAGRAM TROLL.

THEY ARE SO

MUCH

MORE

THAN THAT.

THEY'RE NOT

ONE

TWO

THREE DEDUCTIONS

DEMERITS

DETENTIONS

SUSPENSIONS.

THEY'RE NOT "GLOWS" AND "GROWS" AND MISSING BELTS

AND "UNPROFESSIONAL HAIR,"

MISS PRINCIPAL.

THEY ARE SO. MUCH. MORE. THAN. THAT.

THEY ARE YOU.

THEY ARE ME.

WHO WE WERE,

WHO WE WISH WE COULD STILL BE.

THEY ARE THE ANSWER TO THE FUTURE PROBLEMS

WE CAN'T FORSEE.

THEY ARE THE REASON I CAN SIT HERE AND DREAM,

AND RHYME,

WASTE NO TIME,

BECAUSE I KNOW DEEP DOWN

IN MY HEART,

I'D STOP EVERYTHING I'M DOING

AT THE DROP OF A DIME

TO WIPE ONE OF THEIR TEARS

TELL THEM TO ERASE THEIR IMAGINARY FEARS

THAT FACEBOOK, THEIR TEACHERS, THE NEWS,

THAT GUY STANDING ACROSS THE STREET FROM THEIR SCHOOL

PUTS IN THEIR HEARTS,

JUST TO CONVINCE THEM THAT MAYBE,

just maybe,

THEY DESERVE TO BE TRAPPED IN A CYCLICAL,

NEVE-ENDING CYCLE OF POVERTY,

BECAUSE SOCIETY TRIES TO MAKE THEM BELIEVE

THEY ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A PRODUCT

OF THE STRUGGLE THEIR PARENTS CAME FROM,

WHICH BROUGHT THEM TO THIS START.

AND HERE WE ARE

CREATING ART,

WITH A PURPOSE,

TO GIVE PURPOSE TO THE LIVES

OF MY BEAUTIFUL BLACK AND BROWN

KINGS AND QUEENS,

THAT I SPEND 10 HOURS A DAY WITH

EXCHANGING KNOWLEDGE

AND LOVE.

I HOPE THAT ONE DAY

THEIR POWER,

REGALITY

BECOMES SOMETHING THEY TOO

can see.