Shirley Your Speaker Smith Poems

Today is A time for us to think beyond our current personal borders

Today Is a time to rethink the thoughts that brought us to the place we find ourselves
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Tracts mud into the house
Eats all the vanilla ice cream
Doesn't fall sleep until early morning hours
Uninvited guest
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the birth place of the sweetest watermelons in the world

I win the watermelon seed spiting contest every year
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Place your right hand over your heart and repeat after me

I pledge allegiance
To extend my hand to lift you up
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To see your pain
To hear your cry
To be your friend
To lift your spirits
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Immigration is not my his to ry
As I write these words I become emotional
I am the only black person in this class
It seems I must carry the burden of representing all African Americans
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Hate will not increase
It will decrease

Hate will not erase the past
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Plane crash
Nothing but mountains
Nothing but snow
Nothing but cold
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Why sing
To touch

Why dance
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Death where are you
Death I called out to you in the dark
Answer you did not
Death you make promises
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