Adah Mays
Gazing into society with naïve 18-year-old eyes,
My stomach clenches with sadness
Stigmas about us lie on our shoulders like rocks
The hate for us never running out of
stock.
Lack of representation of more people like me,
Black,
I bleed.
My mind always burns when I remember,
The racism I felt last December,
A little girl asked her sister,
“Why does she look like that”
The reply was only that “she is black and to never ask that.”
Now I see, being black is a personal attack.
That is where society lacks.
Black people,
Pushing to achieve,
Reaching for and scratching at doors
Hoping society will see
The maze of obstacles placed to blind our dreams.
Success is possible for us,
Right?
We fight for one another in this fight for black rights,
We are screaming hysterically
We want help, encouragement,
Anything.
Yet the white light comes fast,
Beaming bright,
Blinding the scene
Of black peoples
Dreams.
There is a lack of progress in society,
My people stuck looking at a screen
When the young black children peer at the social construct,
They cry,
“They hate the black beings, mom”
They don’t like—
Me.
Society needs to be washed clean,
As they slowly destroy our safety net,
Pointing out things we cannot change,
I still view invisible chains
Being wrapped around black people in every way.
One day, I pray, my people, black people—can achieve
Our ancestors
Dream.