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Writer's pictureBloomfield College Underground

Two Poems from Kai Godfrey

What you wanted to know.


So I was visiting my aunt’s house in South Jersey. . .

real uppity neighborhood, not a lot of crime


When a cop stopped me—

“Where you going ?”

I said home

“Where you live?”

Just two blocks down

“You from around here ?”

No


I wondered if he can tell I didn’t wanna be bothered, I wondered if he can hear the FEAR in my

voice, I wondered if he felt “threatened” by anything I said, I wondered if he was having a bad

day because if he was… I wasn’t making it out alive


“Where you from ?”


I wondered if I should ask

do I offend you ?

or does the melanin in my skin make you uncomfortable ?

I'm not your average “thug”, I’m a Project built ,college bound, brilliant black boy.


“Where you from ? ”


I'm from the bricks of Newark

Where the unemployment line is longer then job interviews,

I'm from where bullets don't discriminate because niggas don’t have aim.


“WHERE YOU FROM ?”


I'm from where people died right in front of my house

I'm from where my president don’t give a fuck.

and cops fuck with you for no reason.

I'm from where the education sucks

and yes, racism still exists.


“WHERE ARE YOU FROM ! ?”


I'm from food stamps and welfarebaked mac and cheese on Sundays

I'm from fried chicken and Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

where the water isn’t really that clean

and a trip to the store might cost you your life.

but if not how the fuck y’all gon’ eat.

I’m from 13V’s , and 27B’s.

I’m From Weequahic to Broad and Market.

I'm from where my friends start dying before I hit high school.


“You still wanna know where I'm from”


I'm from where I do not feel protected

where I’m from, my younger siblings even say “Be safe”

I’m from every childhood scar on my beautiful black body

I’m from where if I didn’t have milk, I put water in my cereal.


But to avoid another Trayvon Martin case.

I look to him and say

“Well, I’m not from here “

Because this city doesn’t sing me to sleep

I don’t hear sirens or wake up to flashing lights

And I can’t find a fucking weedman.


So next time y’all wanna know “Where WE from ?”

Take out your pen and pad.

Not your fucking gun




 

BLACK VS. WHITE


I thought it was a walk to the store,

Grabbed a arizona and pack of skittles

“ That’s it sir, nothing more”.

Black boy in a hoodie, but seen as a threat

Menace to society, pro to poverty

Yup that’s him, So Pull the trigger.

Yall only get what they paint. I wish yall saw the bigger picture.

Seventeen years old when a bullet struck my chest.

Man he killed me cause I was BLACK are y’all not hearing me yet ? Listen this game we playing its called Russian roulette. We scream “BLACK LIVES MATTER!” They scream “Thank you, Next”. (Trayvon) 28 year old women I was found hung in my cell I loved politics, yall believe I killed myself cause I went to jail ? July 10th, I thought I was going out for a ride three days later I was lynched, but they ruled it as suicide. (Sandra Bland) I was 12 toy guns were my obsession When cop car sped up and shot me they thought my TOY was a Smith and Wesson To cure my mom They injected her with $6million for her depression (Tamir Rice) I’m (Freddie gray ) Arrested for tucking a blade SIX officers involved in my death , but ONE arrest was made. We screaming black lives matter. But everything still the same. Tell me when you seen ANY officer locked down in some chains….. But Imagine if roles were flipped, Imagine if your father dipped. Imagine if you were screaming “White lives matter” what would happen if I killed a kid ? Imagine if I can get away with murder Doing all the shit that you do! Protesting against “white lives matter “ And I squeeze that trigger when you scream “Hands up don’t shoot”

This isn't life.

This is a war,

Cops creating they own gang and shit.

Families get no justice for these murders cops commit.

So who’s really the threat ?

At the end of the day who did y'all really protect.

Shot a bunch people for a little respect

I really wish the roles flipped, so y'all can feel the neglect.

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