Bred In the Womb

(after reading about the racist fraternity members at Auburn University)

By Jamie Walker

they were bred

in the womb

before birth

the pale, white

fetus was governed

by a host of

castrating symbols

and cultural signifiers

that never made contact

with the precious

Other

bastards born in hate

neither know their Father

nor that Africa

is their (m)other

bondaged and buried

in chains

with nooses around

Her neck

they mock and glorify

lynching

roused by the smell

of black bodies

burning

and swinging

        O, medgar

                O, harriett

                       O, emmett

where art thou now

when the world needs

your fire

your Words of wisdom

your light

to cast out the 'ism'

in this race

that seeks to

justify their evil deeds

by pleading

the first and the fourteenth

amendment

claiming freedom of speech

and defamation

of character

like their father's

who once justified

slavery

with scientific arguments

and biblical illusions

that tainted the souls

of black folk

already schooled

in truth and resistance

they twist the Law

and then re-interpret it

to acquit

people who murder

lie

rape

and steal 

seek to lynch

kill and destroy

black bodies

objectified and

systematically made

to feel

the extreme corporeality

of their own skin

to know their place

as subjugated Other's

dominated

by the construction

of whiteness

Father they do know what they do

these bastards

once spoon-fed

white poison

by their mentally

incarcerated (m)other

not cognizant of the fact

that racism is guised

in popular culture

Father please teach

please serve

and help to educate

that racism and

psychosis

is no laughing matter,

that karma

is a dang good thing

in fact illuminating

and de-colonising

once it wraps around

360 degrees

of outright ignorance, sickness,

and shame.