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Dear Future Son

My love for you will go stronger and deeper,
Everyday we spend together,
Like an endless river my love will keep flowing,
No matter the weather,

Fight hard for what you believe in,
And I’ll teach you what I can,
Tips will come continuously,
On how to be a man,

But there is always a procedure,
That all black parents must follow,
Its sad that this wisdom of black fatherhood,
Will come with a burden of sorrow,

So get ready for this lesson,
That’ll strip parts of your childhood,
So when you leave this world I know,
You were given the knowledge to breathe as much as you could,

Are u ready?

You better learn how to become a master diurnalist,
Cuz’ u ain’t gonna be wandering around in the dark,
Like a shark, it will see your butt stranded,
Desperately finding a solution where there’s sparks,
Literally, finding any way to make your heart beat faster,
Than on a roller coaster at the amusement park,

I said “it” for a reason,
Because it’s not just white people or the policemen,
It’s the system that wants us dead,
So they gonna keep on squeezin them triggers,
I mean keep on spraying them hoses,
I mean keep on judging us by our skin color,
I mean keep on bothering us,
Until they find us in our deathbeds,

And I said “us” because it’s just for people like you and me son,
The African Americans, the darker skinned men and women,
Ironically attempting to make us feel sin,
Even though they put us in our own section,
Son, you, well me too, actually all of us was criminals the moment we were born,

To be honest that’s how they see us,
And that’s why they, or it, say they’re fighting back,
But we all know that you cannot retaliate if there’s no initial act,
Yet we still hear the clack of our skulls and bodies magnetically rushing to the concrete,
Like Snapchat streaks repeated sending us hits and continually beating us,
Until we find our assigned seat,

I’m sorry that you’re gonna have to raise your hands instead of your hand for a question,
In one or more occasions, but that’s the situation,
So I acknowledge you not to run but to be patient,
By not wearing hoods, or talking back or playing with a gun,
Even a water gun because you don’t want to give them any reason to wash you away,

I know this because all that I’m telling you is so old,
It’s so common, history repeats itself,
Because no killing body is bold enough to take that blame,
So then we play this little game on who can say the names,
Of the black men who died, keeping the real criminals nameless,
But if they gonna turn us brainless by shooting they flame,
Then they might as well be known and take the fame,

The world has watched weaponless black men and women,
Wound up dead by policemen or vigilante,
But you don’t have to be one of them,
I believe that with enough courage and hard work my son,
Who is a descendant from slaves, will be able to live outside the stereotypes,
Treat every man and woman equal, that’s a requirement,

Remember son, as you wear this dark clothing,
You’ll never lose if you listen to what I have said,
You’ll either win or learn from your mistakes,
Because I can’t promise to be here for the rest of your life,
But I promise to love you for the rest of mine,

but the police won’t!

Style / type: 
Free verse
Editing stage: 
Content level: 
Not Explicit Content

Comments

welcome to Neopoet. this is quite an all inclusive poem you have written. It should be required reading for all races. thank you for this piece.

*respects, Cat

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