african, art, love, poetry

The Power of One (When There’s Evil In This Place)

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Why shrug your shoulders when you hear my despair?
When they say people suffer, why don’t you care?
Do you think it doesn’t touch you when there’s evil in this place?
But I see danger, and am pissed enough to make a case.

So you have your house and your collection full of stuff,
And by the looks of your habits, this will never be enough.
You like to think you “earned” it, this privilege to breathe
And somehow everyone else has “earned” the right to endless grief….
You say it isn’t you, you don’t make the world this way,
But I’m here to beg, let’s look at yesterday…

Even in the grandest of schemes,
It wouldn’t be that hard
To hesitate for humanity
Before you swipe that card,
But when holidays come
You conveniently forget
To watch who you pay
Even just for a bit.
Does that chocolate not have
Creamy death to its taste?
How can you bless your loved ones
With the gift of disgrace?
Why do you allow that candy
Melt decadent as a treat
When you don’t look in the eyes
Of the homeless that you meet?
I only beg you to look at the enslaved men and girls
Because that’s what your lifestyle
Does to the world…

You support these companies
(Who don’t give a shit),
Say, “I wish all the best!”
And think you’ve done your bit?
You know that’s bull,
And, well, so do I.
How advanced can you get
When you offer yourself lies?

Get off of your high horse,
Stop living like a king
Of hoarding and grief
Amongst other things.
You don’t need a front hall closet
Filled up to the top
Just think of your family
Worldwide and you’ll stop.
Of course it’s okay for
An occasional treat,
But don’t torture people
Just cuz you’ll never meet.

Tahtahme Lizz Cann

 

Feb 2015

Chocolate and Slavery

african, art, poetry

They Say the Water’s Rising

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They say the water’s rising
And
They say the Earth is done.
And rainforests are torn down,
The ocean has no sponge.
My brother has to fight a war,
Some think they understand.
All I know is that bombs are used
To destroy all brown land.
Indigenous anything has no home,
Except in jar or cage.
The rich people get to live
In mountains far away.
Yet still, I know her,
Mother Earth
Though surely what I see,
Is the most depleted state she’s had
In all of history.
And so
What choice
Do we all have
But march it bravely on?
The evening nears
The day is done
And next.
Well,

There’s the dawn.

Jan28
7:09pm

Artwork by: Ricardo Chavez-Mendez