We

Crushed ant hills smashed into the earth By large and clumsy feet Only I see the tiny lives being changed By the feet not caring whose world is crushed Only I see the remnants of homes lined in sidewalk cracks Because I am the only one looking down Eyes slanted to the path in front of me Never high and mighty like those who are truly free I am ashamed to look up While they are all too proud to look down And they stomp. And they crush. Thousands of lives with their clumsy feet Never worrying about dimes or which seat to take Their feet carry them to crush my rights Like those ants, we are crushed We cannot go where we please Unless you are pleased first No Plessy v. Ferguson to heed your heels My separate is not equal The fountain from where my water comes Is tainted black with hate and- although you have yet to see, It will no longer be you and me. For one day it will finally be we. I will not have to work a meager pay, while you hide by night under sheets of white. Burning my churches Killing those of us who dare to speak And those who dare to take your seat. Our eyelashes may bat at who we please Without your bat taking us to our knees- For a Till murdered too young for liking the wrong one Kill Evans and Allen, Jackson and Moore Those who died for simply being alive Well you best listen up! For we are speaking We are rising And we are fighting! For equality we will die But for freedom we will live