The Message
Jason Marriner 1980 (Pensacola)
On my hands I still bear the marks from the grip I once had on the whip of leather
Not from actions of the present, rather remnants of the past to which I'll always be tethered
My current mindset is not a result of a guilty conscience
It's the result of actual, factual, historical reconnaissance
Now I'm not trying to preach to you, I'm trying vocally, lyrically teach you
While I still have the power of free speech to emotionally and spiritually reach you
The truth is my friend, the ONLY means to a peaceful end
And honesty mixed with love is the ONLY way we're gonna overcome a past marred by sin
By visions of leather splitting flesh again and again
The sound of the snap, crack, smack of the whip on my brother's skin
Long ago stolen from their home on the African plains
Traded in for nothing much more than a life of American pain
Living in fertile fields of cotton and violence
Forced to keep pride in their heart, eyes and speak with power in emotional silence
It continues today, just portrayed differently
And we're scorned for not sitting back and accepting it humbly
The whips and chains have been traded for cuffs and guns
And we still wonder why the slave still runs
No it didn't start with Trayvon Martin but the cold blue steel flashed, stole his spark
And left Sybrina and Tracy forever broken hearted
But WE can't discuss THAT, we're supposed to submit and follow the Blue Lives while they blindly lead us to die on their burning crosses
Silence is no longer an option, it's time to stop counting our losses
I stand where I've always stood, with the thirty percent of this nation, with the youth of this generation
I'll always have my brother's back and hold my loving sister's heart in my hand
Because I feel the power and the pain in their words when they speak to me about the Mother Land....
There is no secret plan or hidden agenda here
My words are written very well and clear
I told you when this began, when I said I supported Colin Kaepernick and even said that #BlackLIVESMatter
I was gonna sit back and watch who stuck around and who scattered
I've stood and will continue to hold my ground
Just like #TheNewWhiteRose I and we will NOT stand down
Our voices will continue to be heard
Because there's truth and more importantly love in our words....
About this poem
This one was inspired by a dream
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Written on March 15, 2018
Submitted by Daleisnmyhardt3 on July 02, 2022
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 2:13 min read
- 1 View
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABCCDD XEXE XXCC FFGG XXXX XHH XXABXXBX |
---|---|
Characters | 2,290 |
Words | 426 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 8 |
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"The Message" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/131004/the-message>.
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