Alligators Poem by Lola Barrington

Author: Mizz Haze

In the year 1815 there were 3 known types of alligator Bait: catfish animal parts and colored children - if you put your ear to the belly of a gator you can hear the muffled screams slave children. Hear them clawing at the rib cage of a monster much bigger than your bodies. But nothing compared to the machine that held their parents slaves. These babies, who were hungover boats and dangled from rope- a fate their parents would know too soon. I imagine their mothers watch invious that their babies may better now know freedom inside the belly of a gator then still trapped in a country that made them slaves.

In the year 2015 there's still three known types of alligator bate: catfish, animal parts and colored children.

On February,26 2012 Trayvon Martin was swallowed whole by a gator twice the size of his body but nothing compared to the machine that caused this self defense because skittles, like wallets like whistles to white women can be mistaken for guns. Even if the zookeeper yells 'Do not fire' over telephone wires, you corner these babies.

Trayvon your walking was mistaken for dangling on a rope and you got a sweet tooth right around feeding time. I imagine your mother, watch envious that her baby may better now know freedom than she would trapped in a country that can't bring to justice. And I'm know you are tired of hearing about this. What a privilege it is to be tired of hearing about it. I imagine Nicole Bell is tired of hearing about it. I imagine the Dialos are tired of hearing about it.

You ask me what my poems aren't about butterflies - I'm too busy boxing elephants to write poems about butterflies. Im too busy teaching my brother how to not find himself on the wrong part of the Florida panhandle - lest he be mistaken for bait. I'm too busy, scratching the rib cage of a monster that may never set me free.