I don’t see race, but I feel it

Crawling down my skin

As the glance declares I’m sin

I don’t see race, but I fear it

Coming for me in the middle of the night

Armed with the sharp unforgiving

Edges of the questions aimed at me

Asking how I managed to keep my

Head buried in the sand for so long

While those on the surface

Were the ones suffocating for lack of air

And lack of ear

I don’t see race but I suspect it sees me

Feasting on my privilege

Barely leaving a scrap behind

For the ruthless to devour

Or maybe just the Ruth

Longing for just enough to get her

Through another cold and lonely night

I don’t see race but I run it

Or perhaps run from it

As seeing it might be far too

Painful or risky

For my precious comfort to bear

I don’t see race

But if I play with the letters for long enough

There is no doubt I will land on ‘CARE’

Rather than caring about the ‘ACRE’ of land

Which was never mine to inherit in the first place

I don’t see race

But does this mean that I somehow don’t see you

Blending into the rainbow

If I can just agree to see everyone the same

Then surely all of my work is already done?

= = = = = = = = = = =

[For my Justice poem called ‘Just Us’ click here]