They Always Told Me to Raise My Hand

Raise your hand Demarcus

The school teacher chides

Delay until I greet you with my eyes

And though he raises his hand

Not a sliver of acknowledgement

creeps from the clutches of their perception

“Excuse me, Mr.--”

Didn’t I tell you to raise your hand?

Practice Patience Demarcus

The school teacher says

Speak only when asked to be spoken

“The answer to number one is—-”

Didn’t I tell you not to speak?

Sit quietly Demarcus!

The school teacher yells

Stop talking or you will fail!

“Mrs. Martin I think—”

Didn’t I just tell you you gon’ fail?!

*Raises hand*

His shoulders start to ache

His back shakes from the weight

His mind hates the wait

His hand starts to wave

Practice patience

Exercise control

Sit quietly

Demarcus jumps in the air

Flung parts everywhere

Undulates his arm

Attempting to Peek-a-boo their vision

And yet those glazed eyes stay unlit

With unacknowledgement

“Hey, I—”

Demarcus! What the fuck did I just tell you?!

Practice patience!

Exercise control!

Sit quietly!

*Raise Hand*

Hand in the air

Attracting dust

*Raise Hand*

But, eventually he is called

All that practice

All that control

And silence and now he can finally answer

And answer he did

The dam to his thoughts now broken

He forms words that echoed through the halls

Made everyone pause in awe

Beautifully constructed

Articulated, eloquent and masterful

Perfect.

The move from oppression to liberation

Depends on the means and the moment

That you utilize

They always told me to raise my hand

They always told Demarcus to raise his hand

And when we were finally picked

No one ever told us to raise our hands again