Atticus
(With reference to The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes)
A young black student once said to me,
As I learn from you,
I guess you learn from me –
Although you're older – and white –
And somewhat more free.
More free…I guess that is true
Oh how I wish they could all see the truth
Blacks are not slaves,
They are humans, just like all of us
The colour of the skin
Shouldn't make all that any different
Could it?
Ignorance have blinded their eyes
Prejudice have filled their hearts
Slaves?
They're not slaves,
They're just there for a helping hand
But yet, they are not that free
Why can't they crawl into the coloured folks' skin?
Where I had been many times before
Why can't we just learn from each other?
That's the way it should be.
Not always anger…
Sometimes, I feel guilty
For being so free
And I couldn't do anything
For who would want to take a black's word over a white?
Who would?
A disgrace, they'll say
Ignorance, I say
Despite the fact that they are the town outcasts,
That nothing they say can hold water
That all the evidence presented to the court proved his innocence.
But no…not at all
A black's word over a white?
Who could ever imagine that?