Scrolling through my book of faces
Bombarded with white noise
Flipping through the acronyms
seeking balanced voice
I convince myself I’m more effective
further from the fray
My fear of making missteps
Keeps me standing still
But is my silence deafening?
Should I put that border around my pic to advertise I’m woke?
And if I post
What to say?
To minds already made
I tell myself I’m listening
But do I really hear?
I may be the teacher
But I have much to learn
I’ve learned it’s not a feeling
It’s a system we have made
Like fish can’t see the water
Till ripped from shining sea
Just because You don’t see it
Don’t mean it isn’t there
Prejudice is taught
but also built into our bricks
If the structure is too damaged
Don’t we knock it to the ground
before we can rebuild?
The straw that broke the camel’s back
Was laid down stick by stick
You’re so sure of your opinion
What makes you feel that way?
Can’t bear to read the comments
Don’t dare to look away
You don’t see color?
Well, guess who does?
He’s looking in their mirror
She just called the fuzz
He’s chirping law and order
But the trust was never there
The emperor is naked
Hiding in our house
Save some breath for the ballot box
There’s plenty room to spare
Opinions are so easy
Facts harder to find
Empathy the hardest
To live inside your mind
Leading by example?
Not knowing what to say
But it’s time to get to work
Standing upon this platform
That I never earned
I’m handing you the mic
And I will try and learn
History class has started
And I’m late for class