Poem for Philando Castile’s Mother: Respect a Grieving Mother’s Wishes

Poem for Philando Castile’s Mother:
Respect a Grieving Mother’s Wishes

Black people,
Will you respect a grieving mother’s wishes?
Or will you only do so when she calls for peace?
If you claim to be #woke, so in tune with the community,
Then you can’t go about ignoring what a mother says
Like those white kids that throw temper tantrums in the supermarket.

I see,
You only listen to black mothers once our so-called “leaders” have put a bug in their ear.
In that case,
You only listen to Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, or that second-hand knockoff, Jumaane Williams.
While everyone talks all that intersectionality, it seems to me that the absent father still has the final say,
even when their kids miraculously dodge police bullets…

So called “white allies”,
Will you go beyond the self-help books and lectures penned by minstrels,
That snake-oil for white guilt,
And check your privilege by looting a Walmart,
In solidarity with the youth that you refuse to make eye contact with on public transportation?
If you break the window of the cop shop,
Then they won’t even throw the book at you,
Cause your daddy wrote it.

I see,
You only listen to black mothers when they are running diversity trainings,
In that case,
You only listen to your boss,
The same cracker bastard that would prefer it if we still called him “masta,”
Instead, call him like he is: a pig is a pig with or without a badge and a gun.

Black people,
White people,
You heard what she said,
Say whatever the fuck you want to say,
Do what you do,
Do what your heart desires,
Do your motherfucking thing.