What Would You Do If

What if you were born in the 1800's? What if your nose was triangular? What if your skin color were 3 shades of bronze, brown or black And one of gray tone; What if you were placed on a ship no on a cruise line? And how would you do continually with beatings, cuttings, whippings And shouting's and shootings : You're man maybe 40 years younger than I but, again you're, They call you "boy"; And how would you do if you wore chains, metal and covered with scars, Cuts and bruises your family sayN what's the use in; Your sold like an animal or like somebodies property a house or furniture Well just trade off and be black just once; But you wouldn't like to be that once; African, *****, Mulatto, Quadroon, Coloured Colored, Black, Afro-American, Black, African American Anyway?? what ever your name is now??????? Now you say you love us; God knows God knows Could you handle it, would you handle it What if you were born in the 1960's ?even then walls and doors were marked with the sign saying "WHITE ONLY" What are we to do, my color doesn't belong to you; Guess what it doesn't belong to me either; For we Are all colors and ALL colors our Gods; What would you do if they beat your child; Your mother works 3 jobs and makes only $1.35; And where is your father at; The backing house working non union for 12 hours; All the other people are white or just non-black; Back then that's what the census said; The most popular bread was Wonder Bread (huh!!) I might be able to run faster and farther than you; You'll run if they let loose dogs on you; Hose you down with a fire hydrant hose; Picket lines who you gonna find? That doesn't make me any panther or leopard; That I can run so fast; How much longer you think I'll last; I might can shoot-hoops or play baseball better than you; Then don't make me any Josh Gibson or Jackie Robinson; Put my face on, place my skin over yours; And tell me could you live the life my forefather and I didn't choose; Well could you tradeoff as black once could you handle it; I DON'T THINK SO Peace, Freedom, Equality, Agape Love Help us ALL LORD 06/26/2015 written by James Edward Lee Sr.