Conked

Or, responding to ‘The Autobiography of Malcolm X’ with something akin to a poem

Hajj, the great pilgrimage, takes one
From darkness and into the light

Watch

As white devils burned the world
To obfuscate the truth from the word

Listen

There is no music in righteous anger,
Only the beating heart of a rallying drum

Unite

Fight hypocrisy in all its varied forms, and
For all the talk of brotherhood, man, remember sisterhood too

Understand

History is a mirrored room, though its perspective
Depends entirely on one’s angle

Believe

In whatever gives you and your neighbor peace
Be it some religion, or the action of good deeds

Change

Justice is an anvil that takes a beating
Shaping the arcs of our manifold destinies

React

Time is the only constant besides death
Be on it, or always fall behind

Notice

The mistakes we make are our own
Courage comes from learning from them

Trust

I’ve never believed absolutes, because
There are more than two colors

Debate

In the search for answers to problems
That yet to have formed questions

Persist

Daily is the struggle of life, weighed down
By the weight of man-made chains

Grow

Up, and strive, in perpetual persuit
Of wisdom, love, happiness, and improved quality of life

Accept

Equality is not some empty word, spoken
To placate the wounds of empty promises

Desire

A bright future exists somewhere on the hazy red horizon
Of vivid dreams

Thanks for reading this dreck. Here’s some friendly advice, my friends: Go spend some time with Alex Haley and Malcolm X. Then chase it down with some James Baldwin. Essential reading for everyone.