Our blackness to them appears like an inevitable crime

Poem by Refilwe J. Mokgatlenyane

There was love but you chose to hate
You chose to betray God and discriminate
You chose to cast blood upon the black rivers
You chose to imbed it in your mind, to stick it to your subconscious forever like a birthmark
You chose to believe that black is inhumane, black is insane

You chose not to listen but rather to kill
God created mankind as stewards of creation but what his people are doing to each other right now I bet was never his will
You chose to pin guilt to the innocent because of their race
You did it proudly with no shame in your face

You chose to be heartless to the innocent
Chose to be cruel to the peasants
You chose to throw bullets like stones in a catapult
You chose to kill and not spare a black life

You chose to live with it
Pass it on to your generation so they inherit it
But you don’t realize you ‘re actually ruining tomorrow
You’re painting them with discriminatory make and you’re transmitting today’s sorrow