Darkness linger, dark clouds transfuse
Thunderstorm, raging seas
Burning fires, tremors and twisters
Lightning zapping, whirlwind overwhelms
Pandemic, Death
Brutality, Murder
Poverty, hopelessness
Injustice everywhere, they cry for justice!
Out in the streets
Mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters
Children and adults
Traumatized, grieving, sadness
No justice, No peace!
Black Lives Matter!
This skin, Matters!
Where is empathy?
Where is sympathy?
Where is equality?
Where is justice?
Where is leadership?
Where is the voice of reason?
I hear his voice
In my brain, it reverberates
That strong voice yearning for equality
“There comes a time when silence is betrayal”
That voice, Martin Luther King’s reassuring voice!
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
When injustice is everywhere
How can one stay silent and give up?
When democracy is on the line
How can one stay calm?
How, oh, how?
When a pandemic ravages your loved ones
How can one stay still?
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When brothers and sisters are turned into hashtags!
Murdered, like it’s 1865!
Black codes, The Civil War,
Jim Crow, “redemption!”
Redlining, gentrification
In this raging storm, silence is betrayal
Speak up, fight with love, fight for equality!
Congratulations to Kundai Chikowero on becoming Santa Barbara's first Youth Poet Ambassador!