Editor’s Introduction: The following is a poem by Jana Haynes, inspired by the hate rally/terrorism on the part of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend. Jana is author of the book The Closet Chronicles, and formerly starred in L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin.
“Where Are You?”
Where are you? I can’t see you. I can’t hear you. Where are you?
When Kaepernick took a knee, You spoke unapologetically. When they said my life mattered, Your outrage consumed my timeline, But where are you now?
They said, please stop shooting us, We don’t have guns. You said, when we point them at you, You dare not run. But where are you now?
The quieter you become, The louder it speaks. Will you finally understand, When the hashtag is me? #janahaynes #justiceforjana #herlifemattered Does it matter now? Does it change your stance? Where are you?
Why aren’t you speaking out? Your silence is compliance. Where are you? I thought of all others, You’d detest this defiance, Where are you?
Probably somewhere quoting scriptures. Probably somewhere pointing fingers, judging men with their misters. Probably scrolling with your device watching like this a motion picture, silent.
When does this Jesus thing that you talk kick in? When do you condemn this bigotry as sin? When do put into action the Christianity within? Where are you?
Just ask yourself one question, If this attack was from Muslim or Black, would you then react?
Where are you? I can’t see you. I can’t hear you. Where are you? #charlottesville #doanylivesmatternow #maga #isthiswhathatmeans
Follow Jana Haynes on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can also check out her spoken word poetry on YouTube, as well as subscribe on SoundCloud.
