Joy cometh soon after the mourning
On the cowardly cancelling of the Joy Reid Show
It’s scraping grant proposals, blogs, papers for any hint of compassion,
pretending on bending knees that surrendering a nation is normalization,
the self-censoring, demonic worshiping, weak professional capitulation,
clear signs some former brave souls have sought their shelter in fearing
forces designed to be unkind with the weakest among us. sadly running
cowed compilations of scared that their internal selves, not forgetting
might accidentally, without thinking make that true honest admission,
that this 1776 mission has gone terribly wrong. or maybe it’s tradition,
a bad revisioning of extra-white privileging acts of progress destruction,
a faking and making up of a liberty-for-all tale too short to cover lying
to history’s face, greatness wrapped in pain, warped by slavery’s sting.
perhaps it’s over since all empires have their run. or maybe, a reason
a purpose, pulled from pain, once again
(filljoy blackwomen, come out, come out wherever you are)
our country, must ask Black folks to save us from this rotting season.
