A Shout Out For Justice Poem by Reginald Walker

The unfair injury burdened upon the shoulders of the African men and women.
The echoes of slavery constantly overshadows America’s path to the future.
Memories of yesterdays gone; times that we hope will never return again.
The cries from the hurt, forced, chained and scared treading waters to places untold.

Tossed up and down upon the waves in the belly of the smelly wooden beast,
Chained up together and stacked so tight, there is no more hope for a safe retreat.
Longing and hoping for just a few moments of quietness and rest to escape.
Quietly yearning for the days past before this humiliating enslavement of defeat.

The dreadful hours turn into days; then suddenly followed by weeks and months.
The stench of former kings and queens mingles with the rotten flesh of the dead.
The useless cargo is buried without ceremony into the darkness of the deep sea.
Days later, the wooden beast unloads its scared cargo and is paid for each live head.

The dark skinned children of Africa forced to survive upon a distant hateful land.
Slaves nightly beaten until just can not take any more so quickly submit instead.
Fed like hogs; treated worse than dogs, force to sleep with the master or the wife.
If not obedient, the slave might be starved, beaten or have a bullet put in the head.

Oh, the scars run so deep through many descendants of the former kings and queens.
Forced to survive and fend for themselves; their forced servitude no longer is needed.
Required to hide in the dark backwoods of society like a secret no one wanted to be told.
Bowing and scraping just so Mr. Johnnie will feel good and hoping not to be mistreated.

Life off the plantation, faced with the promises of reconciliation never to be delivered.
It was just a lie to make them feel good about their wrongs committed to the African.
Promises made were quickly broken and any hope for equality was chased quickly away.
The seeds of the American slave should not speak up for fear of the dread white man’s hand.

Time progressed as the dreaded years turned into frightening decades of a different century.
Multitudes died as racist countrymen hunted them down just because they wanted the right to vote.
Politicians and preachers stood idle while the children of African-American slaves were hunted down.
Some were brave enough to speak the truth; he got shot and she ended up dangling from the end of a rope.

Decades later, things misleadingly seem to have changed a little except the plantation has gotten bigger.
No longer shipped over on the wooden beast; can forget freezing inside the plantation cold, battered shed.
Life has become more complicated, the necessity has now made every American an unwilling slave.
Working hard hoping to make the American dream come true then the job relocates oversees instead.

Today, no work, crime is rising and no one is living well on the great American corporate plantation.
The greed of the masters overshadows the prosperity dreamed of as new slaves willingly came ashore.
To be ground like meat for sausage some sold their very soul on the auction block of aspiration.
Only to sadly realize they are really slaves when instead of losing profit, they are often shown the door.

The unfair injury once burdened upon the shoulders of the African men and women.
The echoes of a slave's past rapidly overtakes America’s path to the unsure future.
Memories of yesterdays gone; prosperous times that we hope will somehow return again.
The past crimes done, now, cry out for justice because the need for reconciliation still exists.