Fire of the Phoenix

June 12, 2020

Fires flood this country,

Burning and destroying

Much more than any

Single material object.

They are seen as fires

That represent anarchy—

The demolition of everything we’ve known

And the ruins of society.

At least,

That’s how it’s seen

By the people who are blind

To the corruption of our government

That has been going on for centuries.

That’s how it seems

To the people who look down on us,

Who can’t look past the color of our skin

And see the humanity beneath.

But they don’t understand

The pain that has been felt

Generation after generation.

The shadow of loss and fear

That envelops the Black community,

As more and more people

Are murdered in the streets.

The fires are not the end of civilization—

They are the promises of freedom

For a people struggling against the chains of oppression.

They are the potential

For something greater

Than the world we live in now.

Because expecting eyes turn towards

The oranges, reds, and yellows

That blaze across the sky.

Eyes that sting from smoke,

But continue to look on,

In the hopes that

From the ashes will emerge

A world with more acceptance.

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