Overcome

Free Verse Poem by Dee Allen

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Try as devils might
      To change the look of
            The big picture
                   Passing itself off as a democracy,

THEY CAN'T REMOVE US ALL.

For the longest time,
     They have used

Abandonment
Brutality
Criminalisation
Displacement
Enslavement
Force-fed false history
Gentrification
Harassment
Intoxication
Jokes told—spite in disguise
Ku Klux flaming cross night-rides
Lust towards our grrrls & women
Mass murder
Negation of our views
Or
Police intimidation
Queens' African beauty devalued
Religion—Christianity passed down by Pilgrims
Sterilisation
Terrorism
Unity broken
Vicious discrimination
White imperialism
X out credit for our contributions
Youth killed before age 25
Z—last letter—last considered, 1st targeted

All the tricks implemented
           On us & yet

Our people are still mating.
       Our women are still breeding.
                Our people are still here.
                             Our culture is still here.

WE HAVE OVERCOME

Endeavours by devils
          To whittle our number
                           To nothing—

WE HAVE OVERCOME.

It's been a long, arduous walk
               On the road to progress.

Reacting to muscle memory,
              Hurtling over
                    Obstacles we didn't design
                                      Over time—

We look forward
         To thriving in
                 The next 400 yrs.
                           & what they may bring.

We look forward
            To days of joy, seeking pleasure we deserve

Not to forget about oppression,
       But to surmount oppression
              Before it regains ground
                         To conquer spirit

By having
        The best times of our lives.

Be loud,
        Be lively,
                Be talented
                      Because

THEY CAN'T SILENCE US ALL.

 WE HAVE OVERCOME.

                      & whenever possible,
                                    We'll do it again.

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W: Martin Luther King Birthday 2023
[ For Rawle James, Lantern Carrier, S'phongo, Zomkhonto, Elemen2al,
Midnight, Rosegold, Stacy Ardis Dyson and Zita Holbourne. ]

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Dee Allen is an African-Italian performance poet based in Oakland, California. Author of 7 books and 67 anthology appearances. Currently seeking a new publisher to transform his finished manuscript into a finished, printed 8th book. View more of his work at dee allen.