Dear Future Ancestor - Daniel Beaty
Dear Future Ancestor If I could take all your pain Wrap it in my arms And toss it into the depth of the Middle Passage Where countless tears have filled waters Stretching from Africa to these Americas I would
If I could take your rage And ball it into a collective fist And smash injustice into a thousand pieces of light Carving a path for future generations I would
If I could whisper into the soul of every black child Confused, trembling in fear: You are safe. You are protected Your #blacklivesmatter I would
If I could promise every black parent That nothing can assassinate the promise You birthed into creation Your seed will flourish, it must I would
If I could assure every lover that the body you hold Is sacred, is the peace of God, is a miracle Your courage to love is your heart’s lubrication And though you are afraid, now is the time to love more I would
If my spirit could inhabit every body that fears you Illuminate their hearts, their minds, their eyes To the beauty of your Divinity Shine light on the oneness of our shared humanity I would
Because I cannot, please know these words… You are the King, the Malcolm The Tubman, the Truth, The Robeson, The Simone The direction and the promise Now
You are the feet that march, The bodies hosed and arrested The songs of freedom sung loud The collective action Now
You are the architects of freedom The late night camp meetings The minds that strategize A clear, precise, agenda for change Now
You are the rage and the pain You are the hope and the vision Even though your heart is breaking You are the salve Now
Future Ancestor know yourself It is when we are under attack that we must know The unlimited power of black soul It is time to mobilize and act Now
Future Ancestor earn your place Amongst the legion of heroes past Breathe deep, look inside: we are here In your brother, sister’s eyes: we are here Now
Future Ancestor, Who are you? Do you truly know your power? Then, what are you going to do? Now
