are you listening yet?

selma march, 1965 | photo by enri canaj.

“it is always the right time for our strength to be seen. no matter what happens, we should never forget solidarity, which lightly bears our sorrows and joys like a lifeboat, carrying us smoothly and safely towards the next port.”

---

“four centuries ain't that long"

---

won't you sit here with me

for a few minutes

or however long it takes

for you to get it?

one should be well-versed

before making decisions

promise that you'll save a life

if you listen

the way the truth sneaks up on you

is insidious,

and the pain it's causing me

is ridiculous

my suffering

is a historical consequence

bear with me

‘cause your pain

is also part of it

four centuries

ain't that long

patterns still repeat themselves.

notice names like Mary and John

were even used and common back then

there were no machines

so folks like me

were forced to do some things

i'm Black

but i'm partly European

because they took our women

non-consensually

time has ticked along.

dead and gone

are the folks at fault.

patterns don't just pass on

they linger

and they linger

for so,

so

long.