six feet under

six feet under

damn what a bummer

all because

of

their skin

what was the color?

 

black

in america, is this even a surprise 

when being black alone is something that can cost me my life

people like me get called thugs or look scary and suspicious 

but when we tell the media to pay attention, it's suddenly not their business

what did i do?

i was pulled over by a cop

i questioned why i was stopped

and then murdered in a cell block

 

brown

don't worry, there's no explosives in my hijab

9/11 was tragic, but lets be clear, my religion was not the cause

people like me get called terrorists and get escorted out of airports

2996 are not forgotten but those million iraqis were never cared for

what did i do?

my neighbor got all hot

over a parking spot

and in my car i was shot

 

xx chromosomes

that's no pigment but please listen

why is it the word "no" works for everyone else except women

people like me get dismissed, lower wages, and cat-called

but when we want justice for assault and rape it turns into our fault 

what did i do?

some guy i didn't know

opened fire in my home

because he assumed i'd say no

 

red

did you forget that we exist

remember when white men came to america, well we've been oppressed ever since

people like me get told to get haircuts and not to speak our native tongue

and now we're fighting for our water as if we haven't lost enough

what did i do?

a man had beef with indians

caught me walking with my friends

and beat my life to an end

 

brown

does it really matter if i was born here or not 

because regardless, i'm always blamed for stealing someone's job

people like me get exploited and called illegal aliens

i guess they only care about us when they're in our countries on vacations

what did i do?

they were shouting slurs

so i threw my fist first

but was outnumbered, and so it was my last day on earth

 

rainbow

alright you got me that's not pigment

but when it comes to who i am my skin color makes no difference

people like me get disowned and kicked out as children

and thrown into lethal therapies that's supported by religion

what did i do?

I was in the club one night

having the time of my life

until i became 1 of 49

 

six feet under

damn what a bummer

all because

of

their skin

what was the color?

six feet under

damn what a shame

that even with all this blood

there's still no change

 

 

 

This poem is about: 
Me
My community
My country
Our world

Comments

Additional Resources

Get AI Feedback on your poem

Interested in feedback on your poem? Try our AI Feedback tool.
 

 

If You Need Support

If you ever need help or support, we trust CrisisTextline.org for people dealing with depression. Text HOME to 741741