“Take A Knee”

Childhood me, would take a knee, on evenings before bed

A loving gesture of daily gratitude, prior to resting my head

"As I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep..."

Across the globe many bend their knees, expressing faith beyond what words can speak

Yet taking a knee in 2020 is bursting with a painful meaning

A living image, a haunting vision, a collective, haunting feeling

Whether praying, proposing, or protesting, taking a knee is symbolically deep

The hateful vision of what it now represents, is enough to make one weep

Kaepernick knelt to send a message, America cares not for black lives

Sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, they're killing our husbands and wives

George is a name. As is Ahmaud, Breanna, Trayvon, Rodney, Kim too

They died at the hands of the highest authority, the punishments are simply too few

'Black Lives Matter' promotes a simple message, so clear you would have thought

So why is, 'All Lives Matter', in dismissive defiance, so often the defensive retort?

We took to knees, begging to be free, for so many hundreds of years

Now we take a knee with purpose and energy, no more begging, no weakness, no fears

Yet even during this momentous time, ignorance lingers, residually

Dismantling systemic racism is the ultimate goal, this is not about you individually

We care not for statistics, biased perspectives, flawed data, or hollow ‘facts’

The only truth is that no life should be treated as less, yet evidently so if you are black

Adult me will take a knee, symbolically, while standing tall, against the status quo

Let's hope those comprehending now, will also take a stand, or kneel, you never know