suicide by hate
splatters on the walls
of the colony.

why don’t we recognize
the size of the goals
that have the souls of
black folk
yoked to white peril
swinging perilously
on a putrid pendulum
of hatred?

anywhere you find
oppression
you find the oppressed
aligning themselves
against each other
la raza against the rasta
the companera against the comrade
christian against pagan
black against black
while modern day conquistadors
complete cycles
conducive to our destruction
a la economic deprivation.

snatchers of crumbs
pillagers of pennies
verbal vocalizers of twisted truth
get installed on pedestals
of conspicuous consumption
to make truth out of the lie
that there’s room for all
while those who see and say
there isn’t and never has been
are accused of hate crimes
and lynched by the court
of public opinion.

as they’re hauled off
suicide by self hate
splatters again on the walls
of the colony
and nay-sayers of the status quo
call with no response:
we have a value
separate and more than equal
and as long as we refuse to see
we’ll keep paying the price.

© 2006 Tichaona M. Chinyelu

In the Whirlwind