Count it all Joy

Bemsi Wallang   and God I know your love for me transcends every promise that’s ever been made to me I know that you can turn night into day Dark into light   when I struggle, when I fight when I fight for my dear life I will hold onto your Word with all of…

How much?

By Christopher White   I wonder how much my bounty would be? the eyeballs of the cops staring at me im smart, black, and come from a good home, god forbid i even reach for my phone, they said to record them, to make sure things go right, so why is my cold body hitting…

19 September 16

by Courtney Taylor 3:00 a.m. I’m sorry if my skin was never thick enough for you, I’m sorry if your anger came because you didn’t know what to do. I’m sorry if my face, something you saw as a gift at one time, seemed well suited for the edges of your tongue. I’m sorry if…

Society’s Misconception

By Marshae Nickelberry Society’s conception was a “mis”, yet we raised it well Holding on to the image of perfection, innocent suckling; sucking the innoncence of our spirits without detection Nursed to kill, swaddled to ravage the mind that harbors it magnifying its projection too blind with comfort, and too inclined with seeing rejection it…

Nappy Roots

By Christopher White   The tall green grass grows thick as my nappy roots, Twist-out fresh with the scent of Cantu melanin against shades of yellow, hello? Welcome. shorts are above our knees, begging mom for the keys, just to brush past the leaves as we leave, but not gone forever. Just a small escape…

Enigma

By Omekah G. Edmondson You’re an enigma You allow light to pass through you so as to make sure others around you are able to be seen You morph, twist and reinvent to reassure just enough of you is showing to make others feel comfortable You morph. Yet YOU are uncomfortable Because you are an enigma.  You are…

WidowSeat

By Rashaad Pierre Presently pressing all on my pressure points Messaging all the leaders that I’d appoint Hate how they treat us but here’s the point The guards up like I didn’t even have a point Cause of the lead, Bullets flying everywhere they hit you now you did Daddy didn’t come home couldn’t tuck…

Black innocence

By Courtney Taylor Duck when you hear gunshots, a natural procedure You’ve never heard them in person before but you know like heat seeking missiles they will find their way into making damp confetti out of your body Every waking moment is a test in survival Every second a field day for the mind and body You…

Black Mail

By Rashaad Pierre Pay attention! I was watching the news. To see what was new. Unfortunately it was a story that I already knew. And the headline READ. Just BLUES and RED. The colors of sirens. As another black person is pronounced dead. Oh I get what the news was trying to do. BLACK is…

Scream- Kendrick’s Lullaby

By Courtney Taylor I found myself screaming in the hotel room. Screaming a note I’ve been holding my whole life. My lungs worn from the stress; battered from the strife. A heart too torn and confused to do anything but hurt. Just continuing to scream. Scream until something happens. Until all these broken pieces start…