A poem a day for 2013 - day 107 - Say remember

To say the least
I am bothered by all hate language
By bothered
I am indeed
Saying the least

All this talk
Our talk
Our sheltered bodies
Our educated selves
Our silk tongues in a flitter
Tear down legacies
Rip open towers
Of fathers
Of mothers
Who labored this jungle before
Say labored
Say flesh and blood

Courageously flawed
Common sense degrees
Prayers in pockets
Human beings
Say human beings
Say just a man
Say just a woman

Fight
Fight man fight
For better education
Fight woman fight
Peace man peace
Piece man piece
Say piece
Say peace

Gave last breaths
In shout against
Church bombings
Glowing crosses
Where lilies should grow
Say southern trees

Colored signs over toilets not fit for pigs
Sore to the bone black feet
Stapled to back of bus
Say back of bus

Tired and imperfect
Hands
Toes
Eyes

Risked families
Gave lives
Took lives
Say sacrifice
Say sacrifice

So we could build this nation we keep
Dreaming
Ranting
Venting
Discussing
Say Facebook

I am only five generations
Out of slavery
Say five
Say not out of slavery
Say stand your ground
Say Trayvon

Can we hands dirty
Can we dig
Say can you dig it

Can we dig
Sweat
Can we build on foundation
Laid by our befores
Say solid

Our ancestors born in Africa
Are not the only ones deserving our honor
Say work
Say pray
Say fight
Say afraid
Say stand

What you gon do with all that 20/20 hindsight
Besides shoulda / coulda our mothers / our fathers

What do you know about a dog in your face

What we gon do today
To make tomorrow for our babies

Fight man fight
Fight woman fight
All those fists in the air
All those guns
All those signs
For war
For no war
For peace
For schools
For justice
For men home for dinner
Not hanging from trees
Say southern trees
Say Los Angeles
Say Brooklyn
Say Chicago
Say Hadiya

Walk man walk
Shout man shout
Say build tomorrow

That's what it was all about

If you think we were spat on at the Woolworth counter
For privilege of a white woman's peach cobbler
You missed the whole point
Brothers and sisters say it loud
We had our own peach cobbler