POETRY > “the racist”
the racist
⚠️ Content notes: racism
I'm scared to breathe
in case I wake the racist
Asleep always
Eyes open
Fist ready
I'm a nervous wreck
in case I wake the racist
Life changer
Game rigger
Heart stopper
Who is it?
Who is racist today?
A stranger with a thousand faces
It's Donald
Sometimes it's Boris
Sometimes it's Laura
Sometimes it's Priti
Sometimes it's Rishi
Sometimes it's my dad
Sometimes it's my mum
Sometimes it's your dad
Sometimes it's your mum
Sometimes it's you
Sometimes it's my first crush
Sometimes it's my friend
Sometimes it's a stranger
Sometimes it's me.
NOTES:
This is performance poetry, though I need a haircut first.. and I imagined this as a script / screenplay for a short film.
The new game in racism is to deny racism. When I say I’m racist too, I’m not doing that complacent “oh everyone’s a little bit racist” thing. I’m saying that I know that because I grew up in a racist world, fed racist media through formative years to this very day, I have internalised racist stereotypes. The thing is, I work hard to BE AWARE of the messaging I have learnt, and to take responsibility for my words and actions.
Check out my blog posts on mental health and creativity.