They lean across my desk They stand beside me They ask someone else They ignore my request They take it off the agenda They try to convince me They say it’s my problem They arrive after me They stand in front They cue behind me They get served first They turn their backs They want to shake hands They gave children guns They stole my lands They wounded my heart They tortured my body They blinded my heritage They made the trail bloody They show their tears They want compassion They carve their smiles They follow fashion They misinterpret my words They don’t want my opinion They wear their guilt They can’t see I am broken They fail to hear me They want me silenced They shrink away They call my power violence They invite challenge They leave me on the frontline They include me when They want a token They say show me how They have their problems They want it written They don’t want it spoken They come for my soul They have already taken They want me the same They make me different They want to be conscious They want to do it right They want me visible They want me out of sight Isha Mckenzie-Mavinga Oct 2002

Taking the knee is a powerful deed why don’t they believe No government statement about race hatement means Government lies hoping racism dies but without challenge acknowledgement we will survive Taking the knee is a powerful deed Why don’t they believe the elephant out on the football pitch the unscratchable itch wthout cricket investors it festers No longer dormant relentless lament black lives do matter we determined to scatter the ashes of racism as it festers on pitches an institution of Great Great Britain where they boo ardent supporters of black Lives Matter So we are smitten by other histories twitters,Sniggers grimy minds of dirty dealers should we punish chastise until they all realise there is no disguise no penalise can redeem the lies Head in the sand dusty corners of oppression collusion illusion trauma white knees on Green grass of home background noise of colonisation regeneration George Floyd Breanna Taylor over there name those over here Mark Duggan Sean right Sheku Bayou Christopher Alder Kingsley Burrel Simeon Frances Cherry Groce Steven Lawrence Not just a US token My teeth are British My skin is brown My heart will not be broken Isha Mckenzie-Mavinga July 2021

Once it was silenced Tied my tongue Brought to my knees Arrested thoughts friendship and love A need to please resembled shydom Deep suspicion Squeezed life out of Connection A certain block in my equilibrium Refused to let me see Refused to let me be Accept them Vulnerable and human As they present to me kind and generous With two of everything Except tongue,Nose, teeth, Belly button things we share Not always seen learned to look them Eye to eye keep my soul within Balance me again meet without forced grin Xen No phobia Gone Now Now then Phobia Going Going Gone Down a notch Then one Then another Then one