Downtime🖤 (Part 3)

A 20/20 Vision

 

Hello again! I wasn’t intending on leaving it months before I wrote another blog, but the reality is I’ve kinda been in a funk. To be fair to myself, there have been a few legit reasons as to why I would be.

I won’t bore you with the details of my funky disposition right now. Let’s just say that I’m working on it! The year so far has really been a humdinger. Like, seriously, who could have predicted the madness?*

The 20/20 vision I had is nothing in comparison to the reality, but it has enabled me to see certain people’s true colours with crystal clarity. In my last Downtime blog I wrote about being tired. That’s not quite cutting it anymore. I’m fully over certain attitudes and having to break things down time and again. We’ve now reached Black History Month and it’s added more fuel to those already raging flames of hate.

It’s actually not hard to imagine that people would get so irate over trying to eradicate racism and giving us a fair chance. I guess it boils down to what you choose to see and what makes you feel un/comfortable. I’ve tried to highlight my feelings for you below. I hope you enjoy it, but most of all I hope you understand it.🖤

 

 

A little while back I wrote about being tired

But that description has long since expired

Tired no longer fits the bill

Let me try to explain if you will

To those taking issue with the words Black Lives Matter

And the “It’s all political!” nonsense and chatter

Having an issue with taking the knee

Or a powerful dance performed by Diversity

 

Disgust at adverts with Black families

Or in general, too many Black faces on their tv’s

Or a necklace with the initials B.L.M,

Causing outrage a little hard to comprehend,

Folk can find time to moan and complain

As if we’re all out here just playing some game

They’ll tell us we don’t deserve sympathy

Because crimes and statistics is all they can see

 

Allow me to give you a little clarity

If politics is all that you choose to see

There may be things you don’t like about the organisation

I hear you and understand your frustration

But the focus should be on Black Lives Matter – the movement

And how we’re constantly striving for improvement

There are way too many unnecessary failures

Too many George Floyds, Sarah Reeds and Breonna Taylor’s

 

Too many concerned over the placement of a statue

With negative statements to throw at you

Why should I waste my time trying to explain

When you clearly don’t want to register our pain

If you’re not interested that’s all good with me

I’m not about begging, and I’ll leave you be

I really have no time for all of those bigots

The likes of Jim Davidson and Laurence Fox

 

Who, granted, are entitled to their opinions and views

But don’t have a clue what’s it’s like to walk in our shoes

Every colour and creed commit crimes on the street

But if it’s a Black face they don’t miss a beat

In pointing the finger and calling us out

But if it’s a White face there’s always room for doubt

And heaven forbid we speak up or speak out

They’ll seriously question what we’re talking about

 

It honestly is a real travesty

That a lot of the naysayers really can’t see

When they say we should be grateful

And it’s all ok

Because we’re less racist here in the U.K

There’s a huge piece of the picture that you miss

And really and truly, it’s more than a diss

 

Addressing the ‘All Lives Matter’ crew

And the ‘Blue Lives Matter’ too

For the latter here’s somewhere to begin

They can take off their uniform

We can’t take off our skin

As for all lives mattering, that goes without saying

But the comparison needs to take some weighing

 

The past few months have given much insight

Between those who truly understand our plight

And those who’ve had enough, and are over it

And would love nothing more than for us to quit

Wondering how much longer we intend to go on

Whinging, whining and singing the same old song?

 

But in the midst of all of the chanting and crying

And every which way my people keep trying

Black people are dying at an alarming rate

At the hands of people fuelled by hate

Happy to deny us the right to live

All whilst sitting comfortably in their privilege

 

Band us together and label us BAME

With little recognition that we’re not all the same

No sympathy for Grenfell or the Windrush generation

No time for unity or the rise of one nation

We can all be different but still live as one

It’s not impossible; it can be done

 

I have no idea what the future will be

But I’ll try not to give up hope, that one day they’ll see

So take in the words I’ve written above

The lack of understanding, empathy and love

Now can you see why I’m way past tired?

Exhausted’s the word that is now required

But to my brothas and sistas

Don’t let it get you down

Put your head up and hold on to your crown

Whenever it seems there’s no ending in sight

As Bob Marley said, don’t give up the fight!

 

R.I.P Hazel Bruce and to all those who have passed away recently

*Apparently someone did. They could have given us a better heads up!😅