Three Fifths

Three- Fifths


only three-fifths of us exist
making us a minority
in a place
where we made a majority of the progressions
yet none of us asked to be
we just like ended up
here
the debt
we didn’t ask for that ish
never asked to be enslaved
never asked to be beaten
never asked to be hung
never asked to be made
invisible, invisible, invisible
never asked to be made invisible
to liberty and justice by all

everyday is a struggle
frustration taps us on the shoulder
gather around but stand back
be afraid to behold
the breakdown of a nation, a race, a culture
a people
the people that the foundation of all great things in history was made on
our backs, our blood, our sweat, our tears
but, we never made it in any history books
because only three fifths of us exist
we’re too busy trying to bling bling with rhinestones and fake gold
praying on pipe dreams and
things we always had
and things we don’t need and
things that divide us even more
while the world continues to make us more and more invisible

hello…I hear you but you can’t be seen
try again…next time…
try again…next month
try again…next year
try again, next lifetime
we are all up in Jesse Jackson’s business
sorry Ms Jackson, there’s a bigger issue at hand
an issue bigger than my hair, his clothes, her shoes, his shapeup, her purse, his Avirex, their beef or that broke down Lex-us
let us never forget
why Martin walked
why Malcolm spoke
why Medgar died
why Stokely carried a gun
why Speech sang “Tennessee”
why McWhorter is bitter
why our folks be tripping
why our grandparents prayed on their knees
to save us
to save us from a country in which only three-fifths of us exist
a president that don’t care
a group of people who are all about themselves
to save us
to save us
to save us from
to save is from…from ourselves?