Faded Asphalt Riddled with Glass and Stone

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Faded asphalt riddled with glass and stone

Scorched deep black by disenfranchised frustration.

Called thugs and lawless, anger bubbles over,

But still nothing has changed.

The sixties are alive in well in the twenty-first century.

Civil rights are still just a dream for many

Though we’d like to believe otherwise.

So what! Segregation has been legally abolished,

The back of the bus is no longer reserved,

But what the law cannot abolish is racism.

It cannot regulate the prejudice minds of man,

It cannot extract it from our senses,

Perhaps blindness is the answer,

Plucking of the eyes from the skull.

What else can save this species,

It has been on this spiral for eternity?

Look at our history!

Enslavement, segregation, discrimination,

Poverty, lynchings, so little progress.

Yes, some of these have faded,

Replaced by polite prejudice,

But still nothing has changed.

Perhaps one day,

The ignorant will close their eyes,

Open their hearts

And realize that color is only

…Skin deep.

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

23 thoughts on “Faded Asphalt Riddled with Glass and Stone

    • Sorry for the late thank you, but thank you so much Jueseppi for the re-blog, I am so upset by Freddie Gray’s unnecessary death that I can’t help but write about it. Be well my friend.

  1. Disgusting, sickening and horrifying. I can’t understand it. I think it’s more than color it’s about power over others. The police have power and weapons and people don’t. The imbalance should scare all of us. They are free to do as they please to ANY of us and we are helpless against them. We should all be afraid. I think there’s something wrong with our species, big time. When we go extinct the rest of the universe should throw a party and take a deep cleansing breath to be rid of us and out constant need and thrust for VIOLENCE AND DEATH.

    • I wish I didn’t agree with you, but I do, it really is much more than just color and yes power and might I add greed are the culprits that feed this disease. I do believe that the police are absolutely necessary and that just like any profession most are good, but there are definitely some that are bad. What they have lost though is their connection the neighborhoods they patrol, they don’t take the time to get to know the people and as a result the citizens and the police have become adversaries. This is really a shame. I sadly fear that things will get a whole lot worse before they get better. Thank you for the passionate comment my friend.

  2. “It cannot extract it from our senses” because they plant, grow and water such thoughts into peoples minds. Racism makes the governments money as it is a very systematic way to manipulate people and extract money from the very people they toss in jail, for no reason. People who cannot afford to pay the fines so they incarcerate them another time and the vicious cycle continues. This is not the average policeman but those with minds that are poisoned by racism . People who continue to poison their own children to carry this on. I only have one question and that is “What the hell is wrong with government for not stomping out racism rather than stomping out the lives of good people?” You would think with all the coverage they get from all the media, cell phones etc. that they would realize they have been caught too many times. Why are the same people in charge, voted back each time to continue this massacre of obvious groups? They make front page headlines and still get away with it…

    • I think the answer as to why things are the way they are can be seen if we look in our own mirrors. We elect and reelect the same incompetent politicians over and over again thinking that the next time they get into office something will be different, but guess what, it never is. We are to blame for not taking enough interest in our government and allowing big money to buy it. The “little people” when organized in significant numbers are a very powerful force, but I don’t think that many of us have the fortitude to confront the government and the wealthy that control it to force it to change. Thank you very much for the thoughtful comment my friend.

  3. Dom, You put into words what we are living through…our times…relating it to our history &, yet, ended with hope for our future. –A difficult task you took on, well done!!! Thanks for the “Like” on my latest “Excuse Us…” Hope you had a laugh!!! Phil

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