Heavy

by Kiese Laymon

y’all taught me indirectly that unacknowledged scars accumulated in battles won often hurt more than battles lost.

y’all knew, and showed me, how we didn’t even have to win for white folk to punish us. All we had to do was not lose the way they wanted us to.

America seems filled with violent people who like causing people pain but hate when those people tell them that pain hurts.

“Even when I know you’re lying to me, I just feel crazy sorry for you.” “Why?” “Because I can just tell you’ll never let me carry what you’re hiding.”

we only have a limited number of fuckups before we be fucked up for good.

running and hiding from folk who can’t see themselves has fatal consequences.

For a few seconds, I remembered that the most abusive parts of our nation obsessively neglect yesterday while peddling in possibility.