Prison industrial complex/jobs and livelihood of whole dismal towns/dismal lives/rely on feeding the fodder of the poor/labeled dehumanized to the grinding slavering industry/traded on the stock market/like other markets long ago/over my head/over her head/was there music in the air/freedom/oh freedom over me/ before I’d be a slave/I’d be buried in my grave/or did she spread her arms/on another tree/and cry/my God/why have you forsaken me/

When people you’ve loved fiercely/swan elegant/dignified/erudite/also beautiful shades of brown/nothing seems out of order/love and faith abound/then one childish day/ hate creeps into the room/never tainting your love and awe/filed away/for strength/hardly comprehensible/to be the descendant/of those strong enough/to survive hate/structural/dehumanizing hate/you think this will make me/strong/unafraid/until someday you understand/the terror/constant sick sad fear/they lived with/and sang hymns straight in the maw of dehumanization/we are not entitled/you learn with sorrow/ not like some/to be in this world without the night terror of prayer/not yet/but my bright beautiful daughter/not yet/but someday