by Georgina Ramsay
This black woman is angry.
Yes, this black woman is angry as hell.
In a world where the colour of one’s skin,
Their melanin,
Is reason enough to kill
You should be angry as well.
This black woman is frustrated.
Her brothers and sisters are unjustly incarcerated
So they can be falsely painted as thugs,
Dangerous villains,
Who drink,
Can’t think.
Do drugs.
This black woman is confused
Because the same people who paint this picture,
Will post a picture
Wearing our hair,
Our features,
Our skin
Yes, this black woman is angry as hell.
In a world where the colour of one’s skin,
Their melanin,
Is reason enough to kill
You should be angry as well.
This black woman is frustrated.
Her brothers and sisters are unjustly incarcerated
So they can be falsely painted as thugs,
Dangerous villains,
Who drink,
Can’t think.
Do drugs.
Because the same people who paint this picture,
Will post a picture
Wearing our hair,
Our features,
Our skin
Like costumes,
Turning a blind eye to what’s within.
You cannot,
You will not,
Discard our hearts.
We are not a sum of parts
To be disposed of at your refusal.
We are not objects for your perusal.
Not here for your approval,
You do not own us.
This black woman is tired
Of people policing our feelings
When the police can’t even police their feelings.
So stop with your ifs, buts and excuses,
Enough is enough.
You cannot justify injustice.
This black woman has questions:
Who made you this violent?
Tell me what did they do?
Is someone going around
Killing your people too?
This black woman is scared
Because they shout “slavery’s over”
As the streets flood
With the blood from strange fruit.
If slavery’s over,
Tell me,
Why can I still feel this noose around my neck?
Reminding me my life hangs on a thread,
That it just takes one racist
To shoot me dead.
A wise man once said:
“Just because we’re magic, doesn’t mean we’re not real”,
So you can’t kill us
Then expect us not to feel
Angry,
Tired,
Frustrated,
Confused
Scared.
This black woman is angry,
Her brothers and sisters are being beaten,
Until their black is black and blue.
This black woman is angry,
The question is:
Why aren’t you?
Turning a blind eye to what’s within.
You cannot,
You will not,
Discard our hearts.
We are not a sum of parts
To be disposed of at your refusal.
We are not objects for your perusal.
Not here for your approval,
You do not own us.
This black woman is tired
Of people policing our feelings
When the police can’t even police their feelings.
So stop with your ifs, buts and excuses,
Enough is enough.
You cannot justify injustice.
This black woman has questions:
Who made you this violent?
Tell me what did they do?
Is someone going around
Killing your people too?
This black woman is scared
Because they shout “slavery’s over”
As the streets flood
With the blood from strange fruit.
If slavery’s over,
Tell me,
Why can I still feel this noose around my neck?
Reminding me my life hangs on a thread,
That it just takes one racist
To shoot me dead.
“Just because we’re magic, doesn’t mean we’re not real”,
So you can’t kill us
Then expect us not to feel
Angry,
Tired,
Frustrated,
Confused
Scared.
This black woman is angry,
Her brothers and sisters are being beaten,
Until their black is black and blue.
This black woman is angry,
The question is:
Why aren’t you?
Georgina Ramsay is an 18-year old UK-based student of Jamaican descent. She is passionate about the power of words and poetry. She was previously shortlisted to be Birmingham's Young Poet Laureate.