Racism, a poem

Familiar enough to go unnoticed,

foreign enough to go unclaimed.

Emotional, not logical-
justifying itself with facts that provide no justification.

Lying to itself-
proving itself with righteous denials.

Not hate,
fear-
jealously guarding what it has, and what it thinks it knows-
its offspring is hate.

Not ignorance,
ignorance’s wiser cousin-
a stubborn unwillingness to learn.

Elusive as the dream that leaves behind an angry morning with no explanation,

cowardly bully hiding-

as comforting as my grandmothers voice.

But,

too shameful to own,
too evil to confess,
too confusing to bear accusation.

Sleeping invisible dog, not to be disturbed-

hush.

It has slept for so long-
leave things be.

We have come so far.

Do better than those before you,
and teach those that come after you to do better still.

(Like they did?
And like the ones before them,
and like the ones before them,
and the ones before them and before them?)

Until,
Freedom
Redemption
Fairness
Justice.

(When? How?)

Oh Fiddle-dee-dee