A Treatise On The Effects Of Casual And Unconscious Racism In Words Of One Syllable

In shock. Stone
still.  Here, now,
in this speck of time,
stopped in place.

Did he say
what I thought
he said?  Did she do
what I think
she did?

Would have thought
each of them was smart,
had learned, had heart.
Found out, just now,
that I was wrong;

so now I have to go back
and think of each of you
and of how much
I in fact do know of you,
how much I in fact
am sure of, what I have heard
you say, seen you do;

start one more time
to build a wall
I might take down
some day,
I hope.