I’m not feeling optimistic
When there is fear in our homes
And blood in our streets
And the whole world is crying “It’s our time to speak”
But with everyone speaking it’s hard to hear
When the voices yelling incite fear
Fear in those who are safe from the hate
Since they’re the ones who caused the pain
By their need to fight peace with pain
When everyday people are killed
There’s no reason, it’s insane
When we need to chant the victim’s name
Cause the perpetrators try and make it fade
As though the blood on their hands doesn’t count
It’s just one more life been snuffed out
What one more life if you’re never given the blane
If you’re allowed to kill again and again
It takes voices crying out NO
Instead of a moral compass to show
That this isn’t right
That a lifes not just a life
It’s all the people who mourn the loss
Of the pain faced, another burden to cross
The need to fear every step, every breath
Cause who knows who’s next?
Each person, their own, unique
Another spark we’ll never get to see
Snuffed out before their time
For commiting a “crime”
A crime that would be a crime if they were white
No, if they were white it’d be called running, sleeping, breathing
How are we supposed to believe in
The people who are meant to protect
When all they do is create death
When they make their own rules
The laws the law, it’s one rule for all
They can’t just pick and choose
When everyday we stare at the news
It’s always bad and never good
Trying to hold back tears
When pain is all we hear
It’s easier to turn it off, look away
But we cant turn our cheek, not today
Cause the blood in our streets is rising
And it feels like we might drown
We need to stand up
Cause that body count isn’t going down
Things will alway stay the same
Unless we begin to change
To change the world
To change the heart of those who “need” to be heard
Who force attention no matter who they hurt
How many bodies will it take?
Before people realise just what’s at stake
Even with the whole world fighting people have given up hope
Thinking that this problem will never go
And maybe it won’t who am I to know
But hopes all i’ve got so i’m giving it all
Cause one day I hope our children can turn on the news
And see something other than death and abuse
That they can walk down the street and not see skin
But instead the person within
When race isn’t treated like a sin
But instead embraced, proud of where our ancestors have been
That when people are asked where they are from
It’s out of interest for the life they’ve lived
Not so they can be told to return to it
And I may not see that day
Where everyone is equal and sees it that way
But I want to make it happen no matter how long it takes
Cause I want future generations to live that life
So I may not feel optimistic and some days I may want to hide
But i’m giving it my all
And that’s all I can try.
-Abi San
