Imperative
To the editor:
–
Go.
Go back to Africa
We so order you all
and threaten you
–
Millions of you were packed here
You came
You enriched us by your labor
and your art
your constant suffering
You bent your backs for us
spread your legs for us
cramped your souls
Or we hung you
or burned you
whipped or shot you
–
Today your mere presence here reminds us
of the history we rewrote
our sins visited upon you
our everyday wickedness
–
Today the sight of you
Gives rise to feelings of
fear, revulsion
fear, regret
fear we are obliged to contain
And constant need for pretense
–
Black will never be white
White is all we know
all we revere
all we are comfortable with
–
These Truths are self-evident
You must go
Go back to Africa.
–
Phil Fitzpatrick
Onchiota