Poets' Corner
Justice Or Just Us
Lies heavy on the land
Selling tales of fear and destruction
To classless ignorance
Blaming victims of poverty
Abounding in this land of plenty,
Labelling the poor
With disordered instruction
To turn from each other
For richer construction
And like a non-communicable social disease
You become a non-threat
To cowardly rulers
Hiding in quilted pampers
Babling diabolical baby-talk
Calling us:
murderersWell then who stole water from under the gate
swindlers
thieves
while people went thirsting for truth?
Who fails the children in school
Then like a twisted pied piper
Lead them through petrified streets to die?
Who pays farmers not to grow food?
Burn surplus wheat?
And waste excess meat?
While the world vomits hunger
Still calling us:
murderersWho planted bacterial agents
swindlers
thieves
For germ warfare in New York subway
And rained poison over L.A.?
Who injected 800 Black men with syphilis
Telling them it was a cold shot?
Indeed!
Who exploded A-bomb in the ozone
Framed the Harlem Six and countless more?
Killed kingmalcolmlumumba
Yet calling we people:
murderersYou must speak now
swindlers
thieves
I can't hear you anymore
I miss your strength
I ask you
So you can answer yourself
To help yourself
Who would close
Sydenhamhospitals
Schools and libraries?
And who would close day care centers in winter
While building more prisons?
Calling I and I:
murderersForcing on us
swindlers
thieves
Adverse teachings... this devil philosophy
How best to be:
murderersNow pointing
swindlers
thieves
Now indicting
Accusing... calling I and I:
bad man.
Beggarman
leach.
Lasana M. Sekou,
Staten Island, New York
