Those who stand for violence
and advocate intolerance
terrorized the Whos down in Whoville.
The majority of whites and blacks
on both sides of the tracks
gathered for equality,
protested hatred, stood up for what is not only just,
but also sacred: Black lives matter.
There’s a statue of Robert E. Lee
in the middle of our town
which some people believe
should be taken down.
There’s a statue of Arthur Ashe
in the middle of our city
which some people believe
is just such a pity.
Monument Avenue is no place for hate.
Let’s hope more folks realize that before it’s too late
to have tough conversations about race relations
that go beyond statues, street protests,
and some raving lun’
speeding into clashes, spilling blood,
inciting a flood of statutes and proclamations
when the truth is evaded:
innocent lives were ended way too soon.
What of those other words
that were carved into stone:
Love your brother,
Respect your mother,
You will reap what you’ve sown?
Whether Christian, Jew, Muslim,
or none of the above,
tearing people limb from limb
has nothing to do with love.
If you have a brain and a heart,
then you know that the start of war
is wearing down freedom’s reign
to protect the marginalized
and those scandalized
from the certifiably insane murderers/bigots
who live down the lane.
We can do better than public spectacles
underlining how things never change.
Stuff hate in trash receptacles
and expand the range of your perspective.
Be respective of the fact
that one senseless act
is not an isolated occurrence.
Will a message of extreme urgence
still be ignored?
Yes, if any and all resurgence
of prejudice aren’t rightly abhorred. 
