Too Raw To Take Back Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Facts are facts.
Too raw to take back.
Although there are those,
Who would rather propose,
Hiding them away behind a door closed.
Facts are facts.
And the rawness of them...
Can be thought by some,
To have their pretensions attacked.

As a 'black' man I have been told,
My approach to being so...
Was not bold or black enough,
By those who believed...
On my sleeves this should be.
And my activities did not represent,
Their cause.
And 'what' was their 'cause'?
Reminding themselves and others,
On a daily basis and by their actions...
Not only were they 'black',
But they wanted to 'show' themselves as that.
And I thought to myself...
Isn't my presence proof enough?
Apparently not.
Some even told me I had forgot.

And those who were not...
Apparently 'black'...
Would say my manner of speech,
And the way I walked...
Didn't remind them of black folks at all.
Not the ones they saw,
Shopping in the malls.

Facts are facts.
Too raw to take back.

'When' I was a Negro,
Young and full of adventure to know and grow...
Negros 'then' only wanted to be free.
Negros 'then' only wanted equality with opportunity.

'When' I became Black and Proud,
With a doing of it to say out loud...
Martha and The Vandellas had us 'Dancing In The Streets'.
And racists all over the place became appalled,
By this declaration of identity...
In segregated communities shown to them on TV.

And 'then' I became an African-American,
With that label to bear.
And from that day I wore that label,
To pay homage to my ancestors...
Who were neither slaves or felt subservient.
But they were strong with dignity.
To flaunt this with a daring.
And with a flair meant to be.

Today?
Everyone, everywhere seems to be in denial.
With an array of topics debated and placed on trial.
And having discussions without a shred of truth to face,
In the hopes that discussions of race would go away.
Leaving those who 'are' black the ones most affected,
By a racism that is highly detected.
And only 'blacks' are the ones,
Who expect with anticipation to have to them this done.

Where do we as a people collectively go from here?
How about a field trip taken to sit and visit with truth?
With a doing to expose raw discussions.
And removing those delusions,
Until a truth felt is produced.
OR...
We can continue to ignore a ravaged quilt,
Once knitted to build to eliminate guilt.
Yet being unravelled and ripped apart.
By an ignorance so intense from it we can't depart.

The children of today seem to accept with a caring less.
As long as their priorities are kept,
To address their preferences for sex...
With the latest fads to address.
And where they can get real cheap the best drugs.
It's only the ones with their insecurities unfaced to be done,
Wishing divisions and their symbolic myths...
Continue to be accepted with a dishonesty to exist!
This...
Has to be overcomed.

Facts are facts.
Too raw to take back.
Although there are those,
Who would rather propose,
Hiding them away behind a door closed.
Facts are facts.
And the rawness of them...
Can be thought by some,
To have their pretensions attacked.
But then,
Again...

If there is going to be 'any' progress,
Trivia kept and its nonsense...
Has to be truthfully confessed.
To rid the fear leaving nothing for us left,
To impress or address with interest.