“You-People“
Is what I hear when I walk
When it feels as if I am being stalked!
“You-people have no manners.”
Screamed at me louder than words on banners!
“You-people play your music too loud
And walk too proud
When your head should be bent
Wasn’t that what Apartheid meant?”
“When You-People move, you make a mess.”
Stop calling me that or confess.
That you’re ruled by racism
Taking a page from fascism
In thinking you’re better cause you’re white
Ain’t that, right?
You long for the years where you ruled.
Fooled
Into believing you were great
Filled with hate
For people who look like me
Why can’t you let me be?
“You-people don’t walk away
Or I will sway
You-people with violence
Demanding silence and compliance.
You-people are lazy and no good!
Always begging us for food.”
“When all You-people need to do is get a job.”
A job? I have a job, but you rob
Me and others by paying low wages
Expecting loyalty, not rages.
“But You-people must be grateful
Not hateful
Because a half a loaf is better than none
If you’re not prepared to work, I’ll find another one.”
“Of You -people because you have kids you can’t afford
Good Lord,
Can’t You-people be like us?
Now get away from me before I cuss.”
“I worked hard for all of this.”
What? Wait a minute, Miss
Karen your forefathers stole!
Whole
Countries and continents where my people were content
And spent
Their days in the sun living off the land
Before they held in their hand
Guns to grab our precious treasures
Using extraordinary measures
To make us believe that we are no good
Designed only for the hood
And when we walk to places you occupy
You cry
“Hey You-People get out, you, don’t belong
This place is ours, but you’re wrong
You can’t own what’s not truly yours
And relegate us to do only chores
With systemic racism to back you
Even if you’re only a few.
And there’s more like me.
So can’t you see?
Calling me You-people when it’s not my name
Is part of the game
Of white supremacy wanting to be in charge
Dismissing me and my humanity at large
By judging me based on the colour of my skin
Including my kin
When you insist on calling me a name that’s not mine
I will continue calling you Karen, even if you say it’s not fine!
