To my son,

Locations

02056
United States
42° 7' 15.2256" N, 71° 19' 22.998" W
02056
United States
42° 7' 15.2256" N, 71° 19' 22.998" W

My son, I told you your life would be hard,
Because your skin is a chocolate brown.
But please, for me, never stop fighting,
For rights that should not have to be found.

No matter how hard things seem for you,
They can always be worse, you see.
Your ancestors worked in the fields all day,
With no more reward than to live one more day.

The men with clean, white faces,
Took them from the lives they knew.
They said they could bring them to a new world,
Who knew what they said was so true.

From the moment they left their villages at home,
They lost their liberty and their hope.
Why would god make an inferior race,
All people are people at the end of the day.

Time cannot heal all wounds on its own,
And even today you are not free.
Your uncles have fought a passive fight,
But still you do not have your liberty.

They sat in the back of the bus,
They went to schools with no books to read.
They drank from a broken water fountain,
When nice clean water dripped at their feet.

Today, you think you see improvement,
They say you can do all that the white folk can do.
But they know that the fight is not over,
It is a fight that will not end soon.

They tell you to stay with your own kind,
Do not marry their porcelain daughters.
Your dirty brown skin will taint their business,
How could they hire someone so vile?

Oh honey, I always told you
Your chocolate brown skin was beautiful.
I’m sorry I lied to you, my son,
Your color will only bring you troubles.

There is a challenge that you must finish,
A fight that cannot be won.
You see there can be no winner,
But you cannot go back, only forward, my son.

For your brothers who worked under the hot sun,
For your sisters who were beaten by a cruel hand,
Find us liberty in your day,
Give us back what they took away.

Guide that inspired this poem: 

Comments

jwiener

This is such an emotional and heartfelt poem. I really like the lines "All people are people at the end of the day" and "you cannot go back, only forward" because they really show how we are all humans and deserve to be treated equally. Also, as people, we are the only ones who can make a change. Check out the "Take Action" section of the site for more ideas about how you can use poetry to make a difference!

Panzerflight

This is absolutely beautiful.

I simple adore how, although the poem points out all of the injustices, that there is hope at the end. The reference to historical events allowed me to reflect upon moments in history without being lost in a nostalgic hate or fatigue. This is wonderful in every way.

keisha2513

This is such an amazing poem.

msnisee_j

Yes, most definitely amazing.

amrg3

This poem is astounding. You managed to take a very horrible piece of history and express it maturely, beautifully, and compassionately, all while giving the child hope. Excellent job.

ChasieC

I really enjoyed this poem. "But you cannot go back,only foward, my son". Those words show there there is life after disaster and do not let the past or the bad make you think you are not worth the fight. Keep on moving!

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