MY WORK: I CAN’T BREATHE

“Black Girl Writes Series“

I wrote this piece and published it on June 9th this year and I thought that it would remind many of us of the many tragedies that we as a race have faced over the years. I hope that we all can not just feel sad, hopeless or attacked at the injustice, but try our best to do something about it. Speak up, let us hear your stories. Let’s talk about it with our children.

I intend on doing a 4-Part Breakdown of this piece and I hope that it will help us to dissect the issues mentioned and also look at how heartbreaking racial profiling, inequality and hate can be. I also wanted to add to my collection of “Black Girl Writes” series and address some other issues that are prevalent in the black community.

I really want to thank my friends who encouraged me to keep writing. I really appreciate the ones that stayed with me to edit the pictures for me to post on social media and also to get my words out there. I love all my readers so much. You guys really remind me of why I am on this Earth and how powerful the placing words on paper is.

Happy reading…

---

“I CAN’T BREATHE“

I can’t breathe and you know it.

If I tried to resist it wouldn’t be any easier.

Day by day, one by one, you try to kill us off like Trayvon.

You take us because of superiority, or that’s what they like to call it.

But maybe it’s insecurity, of us able to still live, and not just merely survive. 

You never want to be me and you never want us to be free. 

You get laid off from work and go back to the same opportunity you take from me,

To take my son’s life, his friend’s life and maybe even his teachers.

I just can never understand when we ever did overstep you. 

***

I can’t breathe, and you took me from my children. 

I don’t know if you know this but I am just as human as you are.

Demarco Taylor was just a dad with a bat and I don’t know what your two friends could have possibly thought he would’ve done with that. 

You two against him and you four against me,

It seems defying the odds really ain’t real.

***

I can’t breathe and you don’t even care to call for aid as protocol. 

You took us under your power and forced your ‘culture’ on us.

You bent our knees to fieldwork and now you take my breath with your knee. 

My ancestors fought so long for me to get educated and now you have taken what was me fighting for us to be more elevated. 

You took someone out of this world that was making a  difference for a whole race and generations to come, I pray my people still have mercy.

***

I can’t breathe and I called on my mama.

I needed her until death and even then, you took that chance from me. 

She birthed me you know,

Just like your mother did and her family told her how much of a blessing you were. 

My great grandfather just may have needed his mother when working on yours’ field, how time has changed.

I pray she rests in peace knowing how good she raised me. 

I know she is heartbroken like the family of Breonna Taylor.

She was my sister, and your co-workers just may feel the same way you did.

No remorse, no pain, no second thought and that is the definition of inhumane. 

***

I can’t breathe and boy haven’t you all learnt from history,

That the blacks will never stay silent until they are given their birth rights. 

My daughter will never learn about Ahmaud Arbery in your education system, but we all had seen it.

The media always only showed the ‘violent’ side for us and never us peacefully. 

You attack us with tear gas and you wouldn’t dare arrest your own.

Your men killed David McAtee, one that was one that helped his community.

He fed the cops for free, and they killed him with no referee. 

***

I can’t breathe and to think you did this with no fear,

And you did this with no words.

You hide only behind a badge of safety,

But that only makes it worst. 

You killed my brothers, my uncles, my friends and my father.

Now who will raise my son officer?

You took his one role model from him.

My baby girl now may want nothing to do with men. 

My girl is home sick to her stomach and now you think just killing me was your only sin?

***

I can’t breathe and now I am gone.

You watched me under your subjection transition from life to death.

Now what have you won?

Because now you have proven how privileged you are because I know they will only take your job and call it off.

We cannot forget your comfort and just kept your hands in your pocket.

I can’t get back my life, but I hope my brothers and sisters use my life to be more purposeful of how they spend theirs.

You know, taking their education seriously and putting themselves in positions to bring people like me to justice.

And I don’t want death for you, I just want you to see, 

That I am just as human as you are.

***

I can’t breathe and a thousand questions are going through my mind.

Did I hurt you or take anything from you?

Did my brother with Skittles in his jacket pocket offend you?

Or just the thought of losing your life scares you?

Do you still carry rage from your generation?

Do you think I am just an animal?

Did I ever overstep you?

Did I ever make you feel like you can’t breathe?

***

I can’t breathe and some women are also experiencing this horrific torture.

It’s not only boys and men, but the women that birth us to purpose. 

All we ask is that you #SayHerName and not let us forget what purpose she had for us.

So many kids without mothers or their dads anymore. 

We can only hope that they somehow still find something to live for. 

When will this end, you taking our life like a game?

And no we didn’t forget, our slave masters did the same. 

***

I can’t breathe and my little sister filmed it.

I pray for her mental health and her ability to cope after this.

No she couldn’t have helped me and you knew it,

She would only have to fight for 2 lives, and she is only seventeen.

Everyday we say we need help and no one is there to support us. 

Everyone takes our culture to make millions and their money stays in the banks and not where their mouth is.

‘Its too much of a risk’ or maybe it’s just too human,

To sacrifice your ‘power’ and position to help out another race.

Now is the time to know because my younger sisters know, #SheBeKnowing

***

I can’t breathe and they think we love the ghetto.

They send officers like you who don’t know us to bring us to some normalcy.

We still are filthy animals to you and you now don’t even have to say it.

Your kids are begging for us and that’s because someone taught them,

The we are human too and even after slavery we still have to fight against you.

***

I can’t breathe and now we need to see.

That now you learnt hate, we need to teach our children love.

Because we can set laws and change a system not built for us, 

But if we don’t start at home, there will be no more us.

Black Lives Matter and it’s now we thank God for us stepping up.

We just want you to know you took our breath, but you cannot inhabit our craft.

We will forever be essential and the real influence behind your inspiration.

No longer will we accept you taking our opportunity,

Because Africa’s children will never be breathless.

                       Written by: Ruth-Ann Briscoe 

~🇯🇲 The CreatOR creatED a creatIVE – Queen Ruthie 🇯🇲~