An obstacle of the deepest, or rather brownest magnitude
that of which various shades and vibes blind and blur the rules
of racial implications, specifications, cause complications
carefully crossed like a river traversed by fragile pebbles in patience
as frail as the tedious choice of phrases expressed via this verse
are the issues in stake split in two by the barrier of brown by birth
a hurdle of ethnic scale present nine months prior to conception
spanning its lasting effects to supervene ones funeral reception
a blockade on communication, civil rights and understanding
no empathy, leading guilt, to defense without reprimanding
demanding restitution is steadily preaching to a wall
its foundation on brick purposely not primed to fall
black and white, it is as if night and day
even when in partnership simultaneously led astray
as i paint this portrait of two colliding entities misunderstood
by each other they stand lending false hand as if told they should
a counterproductive tandem, yin and yang circle a common focus
their individual foci delineate goals of personal solace
swirling around their distinct, opposite and reflecting energies
two identically charged magnet pulses create anti-
a pair, in its counterintuitive meaning, of two ships passing at night
disrespecting, disconcerting discourse yielding plight
blindly voyaging an empty canvas of water on direct course,
a course toward false sense of happiness then remorse
a barrier of the thickest wall, shielding both sides from truth
the truth meant to set them free remains dormant without use
a wall of brick that may be climbed left neglectfully unchartered
yet at the apex of this structure lies understanding farther
than ever imagined, this realm of shared perceptions achievable through conversation
around a non-
why do we run from what may truly heal human relation,
spawned by emotions circulating before the birth of this nation
why do we tell each other we were created equal,
yet the wall that lies between us remains sturdy as a steeple
why do they create acts and bills to insincerely right their wrongs,
yet leave a faulty infrastructure to negate freshly inked laws
why do they tell us we’re crying and the past shall never change,
yet the future lies dark and dreary, the present dilemmas remain
if dissecting this rant on the brown barrier strikes as odd or confusing,
you are one of millions available to build the wall the world is using,
the ships passing, abusing
the human rights yin and yang are losing
the colliding entities’ themselves, misusing
if this rant on the brown barrier strikes as new phenomena,
you are one of millions deemed innocent by the nation’s powerful entourage
yet essentially ignorant by the insightfully camouflaged
who remain primarily of color since equal rights were garaged
if this rant on the brown barrier seems emotionally biased,
you are one of millions that in utopia would reside on an islet,
of shared opinions and close-
where “blind” and “uninformed” aren’t adjectives, but nouns
if this rant on the brown barrier is one to be ignored,
you are one of millions of personas bejeweled in racist décor
unjustfully prized, cherished as an example for the masses
blindly granting society’s human pawns a complexion advantage
brown barrier, if it indeed is to be overcome
the nation’s powerful entourage is to be overrun
those on the islet are to experience epiphany
if the pawns and masses’ enlightenment are truly meant to be
if this rant on the barrier of brown is no longer needed
the plant of justice as we know has already been seeded
it hasn’t, this rant on the brown barrier forlornly is true
the plant must be harvested now, may our youth reap the fruit…
Bobbie L
July 4, 2005
