I Wish I Was White

I wish I was white!

Why was I born black?

Why must I be made to suffer

By being constantly attacked?

What’s wrong with black

That makes it so repulsive?

Why can’t black be accepted

And be allowed to freely live?

Why is black a curse

And so obviously demonised?

What is there about black

That Whites must criticise?

I wish I was white

For then, I would be free,

Free to move up and down

Like the many whites I see.

Free of being targeted

Like black can’t be nice,

Free of being accused

Of every conceivable vice.

Free to pursue a livelihood

Like whites so easily do

And accomplish my dreams

And what is my legal due.

Free of police harassment

And the political abuse

That makes me good for a vote

But after that, just refuse.

I wish I was white

Cause being black is too tough,

For whites, it’s a breeze;

They get more than enough.

At thrice the white’s effort

Blacks achieve far less,

It doesn’t matter the qualifications

Being white is the best.

If anything will change

It will take both pigments together

Because blacks on their own

Will cause little bother.

In the meantime, though,

I wish I was white

Because it seems a long time coming

Before we Blacks see the light.

Stewart Russell © June 2020