Black Man's Work.

It's 5:30 a.m.

got my father's name to better,
got recession's storm to weather,
got my black women to queen,
got affirmative's actions to clean,

got ignorance to un-label,
got calamities to un-table,
got my families to un-break,
got confirmations to un-make,

why must I have to prove, all that I said I can do?
why must I prove to be, all that I said I can be?

got athletics to un-typecast,
got spiritual gardens to un-fast,
got inferiority's terms to un-instill,
got prison's cells to un-fill,

got video cameras on observe,
got statistics fighting to un-curve,
got inequalities to un-endure,
got predictions of failure to un-secure,

why must I confirm, all that I said I can could learn?
why must I show to be, all that I said I'd could be?

for a black man, that's the reality,
before my workday
even begins

it's 6 a.m.
black man’s work.

Mark Anthony Thomas
Copyright © 2004

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