Hot Wings and Crab Legs

Our Solution may 

Not be our skin,

And our salvation 

May not be our shell.

Yet we fight tooth

And nail over what

Appearance says

To ourselves and to others.

Not what “thus saith 

The Lord”, but what our

Ancestors have said;

What Malcolm, Martin,

and James Brown 

Have said.

What our oppressors

Our society and neighbors 

Has labeled us as.

The many titles and

Slang words that 

We ourselves have

Used over the decades

To identify each other.

We constantly relate

Our separation to

Slave ships and our

African homeland

Instead of our separation

From Our Savior 

Of our souls;

Giving our enemies

Too much credit to 

Believe our faith

Came from them;

That they brainwashed 

Us with the Euporean-tation

Of the Judeo-Christian

History. His story 

Is bigger than race

And historical and 

Geographical evidence 

Proves His Story

Was with and among us.

Yet we like to have 

Bones to pick out

Of these wings

And keep other crabs

From leaving the

Bucket we are all in,

Because it makes us

Feel better and more

Comfortable about ourselves;

To have issue and take issue

In the buffet line.

Start riots over the 

Last crab legs or

Hot wings available.

Forget that more will

Come out in 15 minutes;

“It’s a matter of principle!”

We got too much 

Pride, right?

As long as we never

Go beyond our skin

For our identity and

Go beyond our stereotypes 

And our generational curses

And our self-imposed 

Limitations we can

Always be the Minority,

Right?

Isn’t that the narrative 

That we want and we’ve

Always had?

Why go away from it?

Since others identify 

Us based on our skin,

Why don’t we do the same?

Being liberated is 

Actually uncomfortable,

Knowing that Jesus

Left no bones and

Took no pictures.

So you can identify me

With any type of 

Data that comes to

Your mind, but my

Existence is not connected 

To whether my race

Traditionally likes

Hot Wings and Crab Legs.

I could be allergic.

Or just have different tastes.

What’s your take, then?

That I’m not Black?

I’ll still be a Christian, 

and that will go much 

Deeper than any melanin 

Ever will.

-John Doe’s Son