I'm Not Dying with You Tonight

by Kimberly Jones

“Cops!” I say. “It’s gonna be okay.” “Oh, now shit’s about to get real,” Lena says at the exact same time.

said no! I’m not gettin’ anywhere near them po po.” “They’re not going to bother us. We didn’t do anything.” “They ain’t gonna bother you, maybe! They look at you and see a poodle. They look at me and all they see is a pit bull.”

“I’m not rich, Lena, and I can’t help that I’m white. You don’t get to blame me for something I can’t control.” “Why not, Becky? You people blame me for being born black every single day!”

“We are only as good as the five people around us,” Marcus says, up in his pulpit now. “Mostly because we share the same value system as those five.

So he with them, then he made a choice on livin’ like them. He can be an eagle, but if he choose to flock with pigeons, he gon’ have pigeon ways.”