Justice

I wish for you to be free of…

The ties that still bind

Of assumptions and false narratives

Of guilty until proven innocent

Beginning where you’ve started

Far behind

Any starting line

Where it’s not safe to imagine

A future, because you may not survive

Freedom from assumptions based on

Your skin

Your hair

Hoodies

Zip code

Freedom to visualize a future

Beyond the ifs

Not IF you’ll go to college but where

Freedom from only lip service of a better tomorrow

Actions of worth for our kids

Most deserving

Underserved

Constantly emotionally battered

By history and present day

Attempting to withdraw

From a bankruptcy of broken promises

Freedom from labels

“Poor kids”

“Those kids”

“Them”

“The black kids”

Freedom to walk down the street

Without scorn

Fear

Assumptions

A promise to be a kid

Recognized

As having promise

Freedom to BE

To shine

Soar

Impact

Shouldn’t that be

Attainable

For all of us?!?