the foul words you hear behind your back

" Close Your Eyes "
[ written last year for my multi-genre paper;
minor edits made ]

Close your eyes.

Imagine a world

where people are judged
based solely on their race,
the color of their skin.

Imagine a land

where whites look down upon blacks,
and force them to work,
force them to breed
just to have more workers.

Imagine a hill

where crossing the street is a crime.
Where whites b0mb the blacks' houses
with no feeling of guilt.

Imagine a school

where the prom is cancelled
because the principal
will not allow mixed couples.

Imagine yourself

a black child in a white neighborhood.

Imagine the mob

that follows you to school.

Imagine the names,

the foul words you hear behind your back.

Imagine being lynched

solely because of your race,
the color of your skin.

Now open your eyes,

and look around -

at the world,

the land,

the hill,

the school,

the mob.

Prejudice is real.
So are you.

Think about it.