Three poems by Kai Wells, 12

God created us hoping we would be equal
Not knowing that some would be treated differently
Killed
Murdered
Shot
Black
You turn on the news and someone was killed... AGAIN
Police offering us to God as if we are chocolate
Our voices shut down before they can be heard
Say their names
They all matter
Black Lives Matter
Trayvon Martin
Tamir Rice
George Floyd
Phillip White
Michael Brown
Sandra Bland
Eric Garner
Mya Hall
Breonna Taylor
All people who died
JUST FOR BEING BLACK
All of them had families who cared
Some had kids
Some had siblings
All expecting their loved one to come home
Only to find they were murdered
Imagine the tears
Imagine the heartbreak
Can you imagine that
Or are you too busy trying to keep America safe from “threats”
Trying to keep them safe from black people
Because when do kids like me go from cute and precious
To dangerous and a threat to their community

Like MLK I have a dream
A dream that sometimes feels like an unknown reality
A dream that feels fake
I dream for black men and women to walk freely
Without the fear that their lives are in danger
No one should have to feel that they are constantly being judged
No one should have to feel that they have to watch their back every living moment
No mother should feel that feeling
You know that feeling
When you feel that something isn't right
They shouldn’t have to feel that but they do and it’s ten times worse
They shouldn’t have to worry if they send their child out to play
They shouldn’t have to worry if their husband is late from work
They shouldn’t have to worry that their loved one might get killed
Imagine that pain
Imagine that worry
It’s real
Every mother of a young black child has felt it
Every child should be able to walk down the street not considered a threat
Every child should be able to wear a hoodie if it’s cold outside
Every young boy should be able to play with a toy gun if they choose to
Every young girl should be able to express themselves freely and not be stereotyped as a mad black girl

But you don’t care
You never care
Because all we are to you is
A threat
Different
Lower than
Black
Ever since slavery there has always been that sense of hope
That the next generation would have it better
But deep down they know
It never gets better for us
They are afraid of us
Who is us
Black
We need to stand up
Rise up
Stand tall
Show them that enough is enough
I dream that black mothers can one day let their child outside knowing they will be safe
But for now
We show them that enough is enough
We show them that they can never tear us down
Why
Because we are black
We are black on black on black
And we will fight until this injustice is brought to a stop