Anna Acacia
Equality

You say that all lives matter
That we are all created equal

Yet-
Why then did my grandfather
A man who lived a life just like many before him did
Scrape his skin
In hopes the brown would turn to white

And dream that he could be like them
Happy and Carefree
Clueless to the reality that blackness is a curse

One that if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time
Could equate to death

A reality that-
Privilege is not privilege it is merely a right
And those who did not have it did not work hard enough

I-
Had a dream the other night
That I was a woman
Yes, I was white

Because we all know that woman equates to white right

Otherwise, you would not need a qualifier like
Gay
Black
Bisexual
Or
Transgender

I wish I could be seen as soft or delicate
I wish I was a woman
A gentle thing
That you would open the door for
Or buy a house

But Ain’t I a woman though
No-
I am an afterthought
I am palatable to you though

I am watered down
But still strong enough in my blackness
That you would never want to switch places

I had a dream where I mattered
I could just be
I for once was not seen as an outsider
Or micro aggressed or gaslighted

I wish that existed
But-

The reality is being in a grocery store smiling and laughing
With friends and being told by a white woman in an Albertsons
“Why aren’t we a bit too happy”
As if blackness and happiness can not equate
As if three black bodies in a store are too many negros in one space
That we must be reminded how lucky we are for the right to exist

So, I ask
Do all lives matter
Or just yours
Or is my life not a life
But a sad reminder that my existence is an annoyance to you
Which is why you cannot utter the sentiment that yes Black lives do matter