Alt Facts / Part 1 / Catch(ing) 22
Black women don’t die
like black boys in this country
that’s a myth that’s getting away
from the real problem.
Black boys don’t even die like black people say
Black people just talking to hear themselves
one last time.
Alt Facts/ Part 2 / Emmett Till Winked @ That White Girl
White girls never lie.
A lie is something black
people do when caught
in the wrong race
at the right time.
I for one love the place, I can’t even tell you how many people died for me to be here.
Alt Facts / Part 3 / Sandra Bland Killed Herself
That’s it.
That’s what happened.
& It Is
sorta like being Black, Or Arab in this country: you are wrong/ you are
dangerous/ you did this/ to yourself.
Alt Facts / Part 4 / Rape Is Simple
& so are women
all you need is one man
to explain it all
away.
Alt Facts/ Part 5 / Everyone Loves America
The dream. If we have to put people to sleep to see
Then so be it. But they will see. Whether they like it
Or not. I for one love the place, I can’t even tell you
How many people died for me to be here.
Alt Facts/ Part 6 /DonaldTrumpNeverSaidThat
soIhavenothing toworryabout thisisjustparanoia.
thisisalladream MartinLutherKinggot hisdream
racisimended themomentawhiteman withagun
shothim.
Ineedtorelax. theygothis covereditsnot
mybloodtheyarecoveringitin.
Imnotblackimnotawomanimnotqueer
Idonthaveareasontolie thisisnormal
Idontevenexist imnotwritingthis
likeawill idontthink imthatclose
toaseance
Siaara Freeman is the founder of Wusgood.black magazine and an editor for the literary journal Tinderbox. A Pushcart Prize nominated and touring poet, she considers poetry food because that is how she eats. She is a Slytherin from Cleveland, Ohio trying to grow her afro so tall God mistakes it for a microphone and speaks into her.
