when your skin looks too much like oppression

too much like hatred
too much like grim reaper
like death personified
on you
it is your obligation to speak-
even though you know your hands
hold not strangle
your lips kiss
not cut-
you
are still part of the problem
if you don’t use them to speak up against the problem.
this is the problem
and we are the problem and:
yes, lynching is “illegal”
yes, slavery is “illegal”
but lynching still exists
and slavery still exists
and silence isn’t neutral
and there is no neutral
there is no neutral.
i am not neutral.
if alton was a white man
and if philando was a white man
they wouldn’t have a hashtag
they wouldn’t have a coffin
and we wouldn’t be doing this all over
again.