Not One – Original poetry

Not One

(For the Million Mothers March)


Not mine son
Not mine
Not my son
Not my brother nephew or current lover
Not my neighbor cousin or future husband
Not mine
Not hers
Not anybody’s
Son
I am not saying no more
I am saying not ONE


We with the millions of ancestors behind us
Forge a force you will feel into centuries
Your generations will not be safe
Your land will not be prosperous
Your wealth will not sustain you
Your privilege will not save you
We are millions today plus millions from centuries before u
Far more than your eyes can see
We gather together seen and unseen
When mothers pray it goes straight to heaven
Rest assured and be forewarned
There will be a price for your descendants to pay
If you ever look at my son in a disrespectful, condescending or threatening way
We collectively are not playing with you today
No more

Not one

Not

One

Son

~ From “Toni’s Room

(c) Toni Love Publishing

Born of Warriors- Original Poetry inspired by the #PhilandoCastile murder

Born of Warriors

Now is not the time to sit down and grow weary

For we are born of warriors

Trained on soil rich with the spirits that passed before us

We were selected from our tribe and trained for battle

Even stripped of our land, our riches and our families

We stood strong ushering the chained weary in front of us

Walking miles to the beach to meet our battle with the sea

Some were not strong enough to endure the nausea swaying beneath our ribs

Diseased corpses laying by, vicious attacks of salt water on open wounds

Watching the constant raping of wombs and deep screams of torment

Many were not trained for this battle and vanished into the sea at night for comfort

They were not capable of taking the journey so they took their own lives instead

But we did not

We are born of warriors

We were trained for this

Taught how to survive capture

How to lead without authority

Torment and torture we withstood

We are born of warriors

So this is nothing new

We will always come up against those who never wish to see us free

They have seen us rule, prosper and conquer

They seek to degrade, demoralize and destroy our power

We have forgotten who we are

But they have not

They fear us because we are born of warriors

Now is not the time to be paralyzed in fear

Queens expect their sons to walk off into battle

Their tears rolling down the backs of their Kings as they prepare sons for their destiny

Never is the battle fair

Never is the outcome expected

But we must not sit and fight battles with feathers

Now is the time to stand up and fight

Remember who you are

Your ancestors did not fall weak and die before reaching land

Nor did they jump to their demise

They stood and fought and ran and rallied and walked and planned and waited and revolted but they did not sit down

The only reason you are here is because they fought for your life

Never forget that some will never cease at trying to take your freedom

You were born for this

You were trained for the battle

You are here solely because you are born of warriors

Those who seek to destroy you have not forgotten

You descended from Kings and Queens

Born a warrior
© M. Tonita Austin aka Toni Love 7/7/2016

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