Become a Member for exclusive perks and videos: https://bit.ly/ButtonMember
Keyma Flight, performing at the 2022 Womxn of the World Poetry Slam in Baltimore, MD.
About Button:
Button Poetry is committed to developing a coherent and effective system of production, distribution, promotion and fundraising for spoken word and performance poetry.
We seek to showcase the power and diversity of voices in our community. By encouraging and broadcasting the best and brightest performance poets of today, we hope to broaden poetry’s audience, to expand its reach and develop a greater level of cultural appreciation for the art form.
Transcript provided by YouTube (unedited)
0:04
in the first term
0:06
a baby grows the fastest it ever will
0:09
builds new cells at rapid rates and
0:11
implants itself inside the wall of the
0:13
body’s womb
0:15
in its first term
0:16
the us
0:18
grew the fastest it ever will
0:21
build new cells at rapid rates and
0:23
implanted itself inside the wall of
0:25
indigenous african wombs so why would
0:27
they hit abort
0:28
gave us express shipping on slaves this
0:31
country knows how to deliver and expects
0:33
us to do the same america grants planned
0:36
panic to unwilling bodies because what
0:38
else would you call an invasion what
0:40
else would you call a baby because
0:42
what’s the birth of a nation to the
0:43
birth of a nation this is america they
0:46
want you bearing children so they can
0:48
bear arms long enough to play for the
0:50
bears buried in every field they touch
0:52
down on trust this country knows how to
0:55
get away with murder whether viola davis
0:57
or like a viola they planned us black
0:59
history month in february cause what the
1:01
a march ever do why would a nation
1:04
that started with 13 of his population
1:06
in chains ever be pro-choice the voice
1:09
of murder black babies rest in the pits
1:11
of alligator stomachs they stuck black
1:14
fetuses in jars and called it
1:15
experimenting we’re still doing the same
1:18
thing with our bodies why would they be
1:20
lacked on new cells like they don’t have
1:22
henrietta’s why would they ever care
1:24
about giving black people an option the
1:27
only one you’ve got is giving them kids
1:29
up for adoption because profits come
1:31
from keeping on welfare and
1:32
footsteps cause you don’t stay hungry
1:34
unless you keep eating that’s why they
1:36
call it the fence it took a black
1:38
president 44 tries times two and we
1:40
still ain’t eight the only plan b we’re
1:42
taking is barack or the rock how you
1:45
thinking you cracking the system when
1:46
they put crack in the system leave you
1:49
leave you
1:50
dried out from the sons you raising you
1:52
ain’t great cause you got barry how many
1:54
dead black babies does it take for you
1:56
to get it rename lady liberty
1:58
miscarriage the way this country loves
2:01
the blood of what could have been
2:03
you only terminate when they tell you to
2:05
how could abortion be legal in the same
2:07
place the forced pregnancy of slave
2:09
women was this is the same way just a
2:12
different america does not go back
2:14
on what it does and you want child
2:16
support you’ve got government assistance
2:19
choice hasn’t been given since this
2:21
country’s conception is the pain of
2:23
a contraction to a white man’s contract
2:25
cause you manifest destiny every time
2:27
you make a black baby and you can’t have
2:29
god’s plan without an unwilling body so
2:31
won’t you be married
2:33
had the baby you never planned to have
2:36
the baby that will inevitably be
2:38
lynching what you tired of carrying the
2:40
american dream
2:41
tired of seeing yourself die nah
2:44
nah
2:45
that’s just morning sickness
2:47
you’ll get over it we need you numb
2:50
anyways cause vulnerability breeds an
2:52
army and ain’t no such thing as an
2:54
unwilling soldier just one that hasn’t
2:56
been broken in yet so put your body to
2:58
the test so put your body to the test
3:01
give light to death and surrender thank
3:03
you for your cervix
3:06
[Applause]
—
This post was previously published on YouTube.
***
You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project:
White Fragility: Talking to White People About Racism | Escape the “Act Like a Man” Box | Why I Don’t Want to Talk About Race | What We Talk About When We Talk About Men |
Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
A $50 annual membership gives you an all access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class and community.
A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group and our online communities.
A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community.
Register New Account
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
—
Photo credit: iStock.com