Chatter
Falsely accused. Arrested. Not given a fair trial. Beaten. Condemned. Executed. This echoes too many stories of black people in this country. It echoes the story of a man who died on calvary over 2000 years ago. We have a collective history of violence. Our black bodies have been beaten and bruised since our arrival in this country. We have endured hardships and deliberate experimentation. We have been ostracized and sterilized. We have been sold promises of an unrealized American Dream. How many bodies must be stacked up in this nightmare on our street? So. We wake up and take to the streets in protest only to attest to rubber bullets fired in our direction. Tear gas choking us out. We can't breathe. You're on our necks like nooses from Southern trees. We will never have enough degrees cause we've never been given room...from the bottom decks of slave ships to concrete jungles in the sky to boardrooms. We've been groomed to grow roses in concrete. We learned to survive in gentrified neighborhoods that used to be our Black Wall Street. Everything we have...has been appropriated. We've always been on the frontlines. We were the calvary, infantry, and the air force. We understand excessive force oh too well. We've been hunted in Georgia since Antebellum days. We've nursed your babies and raised products of rape. Our blood turned Georgia clay Red. America has always redlined us with red tape. Outlined our bodies with chalk then gawk at us when we say black lives matter as if another name isn't added to the list from police radio chatter.
Wish
When I was a kid, I used to put change in every fountain and wishing well. Mostly, I wished for siblings. I wanted a bigger family because it was just my mom and I in New Orleans. My uncles and cousins were all in Huntsville and Chicago mostly. God has a sense of humor. On Saturday, I attended my father's funeral. Let's just say that every prayer and wish came true. I met siblings, nephews, nieces, and cousins from far and wide. There were old heads who had heard about his daughter in Atlanta. There were lots of big eyes, side eyes and smiling faces. Mostly smiling faces though. I walked into a room full of strangers and left with more family than I can count. Now, I know wishes come true.
Unpredictable
We are twenty-seven days into the new year, and there has been a lot of death. Some have been prepared for the losses that occurred, while others have been completely taken aback. Life is unpredictable. It is fragile. It is full of unknowns. Just like we don’t know the day or the hour for Christ’s return, we don’t know when we will be called home or how. We need to live every day to the fullest. Apologize. Forgive. Let go. Kiss and Hug your loved ones. You don’t know what day will be your last. Prepare. Plan. Make sure your affairs are in order. Have the difficult conversations while you still have time.