Blood at the Root

by LaDarrion Williams

When it comes to Black folks in Helena, Alabama, the Fourth of July ain’t got shit to do with patriotism.

A slew of distressed billboards showcasing Trust Jesus hang about on the side of the freeway, taunting us sinners. But little do they know, the world itself is hell.

They say love is like the sea. Because of its vastness, we really don’t understand it fully. But we know it moves with a rhythm, and it’s deeper than anything in this world. It’s endless, and it always comes back to shore. But how can you love something that’s been away from you for so long?

Hurt people hurt people. That’s a lesson we all need to learn at some point in our lives. We’re always taught the game of forgive and forget, but nobody never talks about how that shit just seeps into you, and the trophy you win is pain and enduring trauma that other folks put on you.