Layla Riley-Hill Poet Free verse

The truth no one wants to hear

The world was built on lies and corruption,
Africa was the target of colonial destruction,
They targeted not because of genuinity,
But for the sole purpose of selfishness -
And greed bred from jealousy that it was never theirs to begin with

Secrets of brutality,
Hidden in the purgatory of the past,
theft the real cause of a power that is false,
Stolen from the people who deserve it the most -
It’s true owners - the black race,
Us, the beginners of everything -
The true leaders, those that invented power,
Turned into greatness

The fruits of our labour stolen by greedy hands,
Then profited off of our blood that built empires,
And improved economies 
The savagery of the white man knows no bounds,
Tearing apart our ancestors families,
Stripping them from loved ones,
Murdering parents in front of children,
And enslaving generations

The only time they cared to touch -
Was when they stole, autonomy and spirit,
Using black women as breeding farms -
And a body to feed our children, despite
Their constant need to criticise them
Using black men to make examples of others,
By use of ‘buck-breaking’,
Not only stealing their manhood, but dignity too,
Replacing it with shame and humiliation

A history of brutal atrocities,
Mass genocides -
Irreversible traumas,
Under the guise of the stereotypes enforced upon us
The lies that were told, were the truths of the oppressors,
A history of deceit made for black to be criminalised,
And white victimised,
The truth of the white man's history of brutality,
Runs deeper than any government conspiracy

The truth no one wants to hear,
Becomes reparations for my people 
The truth no one wants to hear,
Will be the sentencing of white people

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Keith D Trestrail December 26, 2025 at 4:51 PM Passionately written and the atrocities were awful but let’s not pretend Africa was some peaceful utopian continent before white men showed up. There was slavery and savagery and atrocities and genocides and colonisation in Africa before any European landed. In fact, it still exists today. But yes, the history of humankind is a dark and brutal one. Layla Riley-Hill December 28, 2025 at 4:32 AM Yes the exploitation of Africa was terrible - that was my point, I am talking about black history that was written out of textbooks, because of lack of accountability, my main focus was talking about all the bad things the world has done to my people, because it is not talked about enough, or people just like to be wilfully ignorant Keith D Trestrail December 27, 2025 at 2:06 PM I haven’t taken it personally. I just think facts and truth matter in history telling or any telling. The exploitation of Africa was terrible - of that we can both agree. Layla Riley-Hill December 27, 2025 at 1:41 PM It seems my poem has touched a nerve, why is your first thought to go on the defence, instead of just agreeing and saying more people need to hear about what was done. It seems you have personally taken offence, and my issue is why?