Casual Racism Poem by David Keig

The Backward Path

They said we'd found a future,
A land of equal worth
But shadows stretch across this soil, 

The scars upon its earth.

We spoke of grand cohesion, 

Of unity and peace, 

Yet whispers rise of broken ties, 

And wounds that never cease.

For here, the casual cuts run deep, 

In jokes and fleeting stares, 

The venom laced in laughter hides

A pain that no one shares.

It's just a jest, they often say, 

No harm meant in the jest
But tell that to the hearts it breaks

The weight upon their chests.

A land that claims to hold a dream

Of fairness as its creed
Still turns away from those in need
And fails to intercede.

Indifference fans the flames of hate
While silence feeds the fire, 

And those who face this daily sting

Are left to climb up higher.

The voices of the elders cry, 

Enough of this sad game

For healing starts with facing truths

Not finger pointing blame.

To move ahead is courage, 

To face what we've ignored, 

To challenge every casual slight, 

And justice be restored.

For healing isn't silence, 

Nor is it just a plan

It's reckoning with what's ingrained, 

And lifting every hand.

So let not words be hollow, 

Nor actions fade away
For every step that goes unmade,

Keeps progress in delay.

#human rights