For America
As people of color complained about
Jobs, housing, police, and education,
You deflected their issues while touting
401Ks; stock market inflation:
A rising tide that failed to lift all boats.
You fucked the poor as the rich got bigger;
Even schemed at ways to erase their votes,
Yet wonder why anger has been triggered.
You objected when they knelt peacefully –
For Trayvon, Eric, Ahmaud, George, and more –
Insisting “They should have been respectful!”
While wanting protests easy to ignore.
Tonight, cities
burn, and people lie bowed;
America, are you listening now?