We
the specifically characterized
minority forgotten overlooked underappreciated marginalized can’t ever seem to catch a break,
selected few,
are plentiful.
The prisons, the hospitals, the subpar communities, the board rooms, the schools, the back alleys, the backs of buses,
are running over with us,
overzealous hopefuls
putting in our best
and coming up just short of
a degree, a cure, a resolution, a right, or freedom
is bound in the shackles
of trying, failing, and giving up
of trying, failing, and giving in
to the tiredness looming in our very core
I’ll tell you things about tired
that you never could have conceived.
When everything is broken,
and the body begins to buckle in on itself
like illness is inevitable, the mind and soul wearies
just the same.
We the specifically characterized sick, disabled, lost, abused and poor
keep going no matter what,
bend and never break,
believe in prayerful promises,
mend in the healing light of faith
We lay waste to
wrong doings and the shortcomings of a society
that funds wars and jails instead of healthcare.
You the un-opposing, neutral, healthy, upper middle class, naïve
by stander are wrong if you believe this poem is not about you
too
are a part of the solution.
The trouble
with coming together
is so many need to
and so few know how
Somewhere in the depths
of what you and we have become
these selfish, numb, thankless, entitled
human shells
is a chance to regenerate
the nerves between our hearts and our actions
I’ll tell you things about giving,
that you never could have conceived
when the goodness of others
pours onto the needy,
And we
the specifically characterized
remember we are chosen
the recipients of a righteous
tenfold blessing.
About Phoenix YZ
I was born and raised in Macon, GA
Formally educated at Agnes Scott College, My Momma’s Kitchen, Columbus State University, & The Other Side of the Tracks
The Work (Books, Film, Plays, Performances, etc.) The vibrant Atlanta arts scene inspired Battle to produce two spoken word albums and an alternatively styled book.