Contemplations From A Black Star Citizen.
Fervently advocating for the guilty
Purely on the premise of them being family
Doesn’t make me loyal — It simply makes me complicit
Who you think you are to me,
Or what blood we share, is no factor.
If you actively infringe on the autonomy and freedom of others
You are forever nothing to me.
– O.D. ©2023
Art by: AaronGriffinArt
Categorize me however you please
Place me in a space that brings you the most peace
Come dusk, it matters little what I say or do.
I cannot dissuade you,
From entertaining your preconceived notions,
Notions that somehow carry enough sewing material
To blanket how you picture an entire race.
Story of my life: Pegged as a deviant when it’s all but convenient….
Because I can go wherever you go, I undoubtedly have to be dealing drugs right?
Because I bear the colour of the abyss, I am clearly in need of your saving grace right?
Because you feel you’re better than me, I should be thankful for your presence, right?
Because you assume an untapped level of self-importance,
I should let you call me the N-word …
No. Hell no. Get out of here with that garbage.
Consider greasing the shutters that shield your eyes from the truth.
Take a moment and liken that way of thought
To me assuming everyone who disagrees with what I say is part of the Klan.
A notion so ridiculous you would think after hearing it racism would end today.
But it won’t, because no matter how many times you tryÂ
There will always be one more fool in need of convincing.
Whether its yay or nay, It’s okay.
You would sooner shoot me on the street if you intend my voice to go mute.
Because when it comes to this; I will never tire.
As long as there is still a body that proudly carries that colonial mindset
I, in kind, will not be too far behind.
If only to remind them that they cling to oxygenÂ
That has far outlasted their expiry date.
– O.D. ©2019
Art by: DanteReliford
As always, these poems come from a real place.
I have a thing against anyone who believes they are superior to everyone else in every way. It gets worse when it enters the realm of racism. I have no patience for that, no matter who you are.
Nevermind the subtleties of racism, because I know anyone can be racist without even intending to be (usually through stereotyping). I admit to having been ignorant of stereotyping in the past, but I have worked tirelessly to make it right.
In this piece I am talking to those who hate a particular race just ’cause… you (whoever you are) need to eat a brick.
Remind me to tell you the story behind this piece. It’s a lengthy one.
I put my thoughts into sequence
Aligning them with external sources
Racking my brain to try
By any means necessary, to make sense
Of some of the most ludicrous actions
Divulged by those I view highly,
Those I’m meant to care about;
Simply put, maybe I shouldn’t.
Spotted like a dalmatian in the act
Of demeaning what I consider sacred,
Our bond, conjuring excuses,
Undermining my intelligence,
Well, that’s just nice isn’t it …
Be all you can be without restraint,
They start to think you’re looking down on them;
Be humble, for them not to feel intimidated
They think they can take advantage.
Power motives upon power motives,
Politicking with the ones you love,
What will become of me when the line
I’ve always drawn on family is erased?
This much willpower in a mortal straddles grey,
All it takes is a small change in the code
To nudge me deeper onto either side.
Full of yourself like a matryoshka doll
Disposing of honor just to prove a point
What else will you get rid off
When greed calls for it? Your puzzle not mine,
Too busy channeling power through intergalactic rifts;
Born and bred from a line of kings and queens
And taking the easy way has never been
Our way to life,
Still putting finishing touches to the process;
Still building a set of stairs for others
Who have yet to realize
Our home is not here, but among the stars.
Forgive me for only realizing too late
That we were always strangers,
But thank you for being a testament
To the devil’s work, just another victim
I have yet to exorcise;
I take the strings you pull from the background
Use them to tie you to the stake you burn
Human kindness with.
And when I orbit your vessel and mine
I see you’re still trapped in yours,
Highly impressionable
Like a bride yet to wed life and its happenings
Still clouded by a veil of our fragile existence.
Trying to test my thinning patience
Find your self without having to use me,
Aggressive towards injustice
Regardless of who you think you are,
Fly too close to me with ill-intentions
And I’ll fry your wax wings to oblivion
Yours Sincerely, A fragment of the Black Star.
– Original-Dante ©2016
Art by:Â KennethJensen
28 March 2015,
Picture this level of irony, Graduating on the same day I started this blog last year. Its a bit crazy, but in a good way. Its only through such achievements that I realize how far I’ve come; I remember being a kid, wondering if I would ever get the chance to finish high-school; now look where I am, It seems like only yesterday that I was envious of others while playing by the swing-set.
Time has indeed flown by, and I have God to thank for keeping me alive and well through-out this journey, however, I don’t plan on stopping here… In the words of my uncle, “Its nice that you’ve graduated, but remember, this only shows that you can crawl; now you need to start walking” I couldn’t agree more; I want to keep aiming higher and make my family proud.
-Dante
P.S. For those wondering, that’s my father to the left, my mentor and a man of great wisdom, the best father anyone could ever ask for.
O.D. 