Skin Covered Souls

The concept of being is inside the mind
It has no color nor shape or form
Perceptions of a skin-colored soul will find
Hate spewed words and thoughts are taught to conform

To preach to those who can't be preached to
where understanding is beyond reason
and an argument is religious in its belief
where they alone hold the keys to Heaven

This covering of white is of itself...nothing
earned or bought, rather happenstance...yet
which colored skin has betrayed its own species more
whether through conquest or deception?
which colored skin has brought about two world wars
or the holocaust?
caused more disease, more poverty
history is written by the bloody hands of one race
they print the books, they record the events
whether true or not
they hang the man, for being a different color

of all the covered souls white is the most confused
as they have marched through history with grapes in one hand
swords in the other, crying out for the helpless
while causing the very existence of the helpless
as they spread disease and poverty 
as a weapon to control
and in some cases wipe them from the face of the Earth

they worship a God, born of another color...yet
change this color to white
then see all other races as unfit for this white God
that they believe created all life and is perfect
in every way except in the creation of other colors
covering the souls
but... for the rebels that seek the truth
that all are created equal
even in the eyes of their creator
whom they've turned white to appease some inner demon
to ask why...to dwell in the minds of those who judge
who worship a God that tells them not to judge
and find a reason for their argument with their own God
how self-righteous can a white covered soul be?

1/11/18
contest What is White
Copyright © | Year Posted 2018

Poem

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Hamilton Avatar
January 22, 2018 at 5:10 PM
A lot of truth be told here Frederick, I wrote something similar, called the colour of my heart, enjoyed very much this thought provoking epic write!
Barden Avatar
January 18, 2018 at 12:41 AM
... black and white will eventually just be shades of "gray", and racism will die its own ugly death. The sad thing is that we'll find plenty of other things to hate one-another for, and we'll go right on destroying ourselves. But maybe, just MAYBE, we'll survive long enough to reach an age of enlightenment, where we realize that hate serves NO ONE, and give it its last due burial. We can hope, can't we? Wonderful write, my brother! :-)
Barden Avatar
January 18, 2018 at 12:38 AM
Very powerful and intellectually-motivated, Frederic ... it gets the wheels turning in a very introspective and integral way, and that's ALWAYS a good thing. I hope we can get beyond the whole "color" thing, by way of common sense and cognitive attrition of sorts, but my gut tells me it won't happen until we are so mixed-race, that no one can tell anymore. I see that happening some and it is SO good for humanity! They'll be so many mixed families that no one will care anymore about skin tone ...
Gauthier Avatar
January 12, 2018 at 7:22 AM
Powerful poem. The title alone is mind blowing. Superbly done, Frederic.
One Avatar
January 11, 2018 at 3:41 PM
Thought provoking... so many questions.. An eoic write
Sands Avatar
January 11, 2018 at 1:50 PM
A deep well written , thought provoking poem Frederic :)
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