I am there when you gaze into the iris of your beloved, I am there when you stare into your victim's eyes before he takes his last breath, I am there when you close your eyes. I blanket the sky when sun is invisible and the stars and moon come out to play. I am the shadow, a dark shape manifested when light falls behind you. Walk in a dark alley and all you see is me. I envelope the colors that you adore, leaving you with nothing in sight. I absorb everything. I am the opposite of white, the contrast of purity, innocence, all things good. I portray melancholy scenes. When a person loses someone dear, I'm there. When a war takes place, I'm amidst the smoke and fumes from the arsenals. When the coffin is closed, I blanket the dead forever. When all hope is lost, I make myself present. I do not bring joy, happiness, faith, serenity, solace, peace, love. I am the symbol of doom. I don the bodies of those grieving at funerals. I am the veil that covers the bereaved wife of the dead. I have also been told that the goths and punks worship me. Those who worship the devil worships me too. They make me proud to be what i am supposed to be.
I am fortunate to be black. People fear me, and they are also in awe of me. They take notice of me and i can't be resisted. I'm everywhere. I do not conceal myself. I am brave to show myself to the world, not afraid of other colors and how flamboyant they can be. Wherever I spread, I see bodies curl and retreat to a corner, eyes shut, heartbeats quicken, cold sweat trickles. I do not mean to strike fear into their hearts, but maybe my presence is too overwhelming to be handled by these cowards. I feel wonderful though, to have such power over them. I feel victorious to cover a surface with my being. Life begins and returns with me. Before birth I was there. After death I will be there. Only life is illuminated with colors, yet I have ever failed to make my presence known. I am omnipresent.
How do you describe to someone who has never seen me? I feel like crude oil between your fingertips. I taste like a smooth salty mixture. If you smell me, I have the scent of blood. If I were an animal, I would be wolf watching your every move.
I am solo. No other shades can depict me as well as I depict myself. There is only one black. Monochrome is my middle name. It may be difficult to describe other colors to a man who has been blind since birth, because I am what he sees all the time. I have swallowed his ability to perceive life in color, and I am not ashamed of that. Because I am all he sees, I have heightened his senses to see, hear, touch and smell. For that, the blind should be forever grateful to me.
I will continue to exist for eternity. When all colors fade, I will still be around till the end of time. Where else can i possibly be but here, there, and everywhere? Try as hard as you can to deny my existence, but the truth is I will be there as you close your eyes and take your last breath. I am, after all the Death's best friend. I am Black.
i have so much to say, so much to spill, so much to write, but all i could ever mouth or type is this - silence.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.
Yes we can. Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shoresand pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can. Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized;women who reached for the ballots;
a President who chose the moon as our new frontier;
and a King who took us to the mountain-top and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality.(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can…)
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can heal this nation.
Yes we can repair this world.
Yes we can. Si Se Puede
(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can…)
We know the battle ahead will be long,but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way,
nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We want change!
(We want change! We want change! We want change…)
We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more dissonant.
We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check.
We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.
We want change!
(We want change! I want change! We want change! I want change…)
The hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA;
we will remember that there is something happening in America;
that we are not as divided as our politics suggests;that we are one people;
we are one nation;
and together, we will begin the next great chapter in America’s story with three words that will ring from coast to coast;
from sea to shining sea - Yes. We. Can.(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can…)
-courtesy of barack obama & will.i.am-
A beacon of hope in the darkest of hours.
