by Maureen Mguni

I write because I’m sad
I write because I can no longer be silent
I’m choking
It hurts
All the pain
I write, not just for George Floyd
I write for every black person
A story of oppression
Generation after generation
I’m weary
I’m overwhelmed
I can’t breathe

“It’s just the black men” they say
“No one kills the women!”
“So facile” I think
How can you not see
Killing my husband, my son
Killing my brother
Killing my voice
You have killed me…
Your feigned ignorance
Your denial
You shatter every piece of me
Every day
We can’t breathe….