I.

It’s not possible,

I said,

When I heard the news

Of the White Police Officer

Shooting

The Unarmed Black Man

Whose arms were raised

And whose back was turned.

It’s not possible.

It must have been a mistake.

It’s not possible,

I said,

When I it happened again.

It must be an aberration.

It’s just not possible,

I said,

When it happened again,

And again,

And again.

It isn’t possible

For it to be

What it seems

To be.

It’s not possible,

I said once more,

As Donald Trump

Emerged

Unscathed

Over and over again

From things that would have brought down

A greater man.

It’s not possible

That his candidacy will be taken seriously.

It’s not possible

That he’ll get the nomination

It’s not possible

That he’ll come even close to being elected.

It’s not possible

That he is our President-elect.

I live in such a protective bubble.

Some call it

White Privilege.

I’ve heard it called

White Innocence.

This morning

I’m calling it

White

Blindness.

Because …

Of course it’s possible!

This is the United States of America,

Where it was once fashionable

For some people

To believe they

Owned

Other people,

And to treat those people

Like property;

Where a childhood

Friend

Could become simply

A slave

When you reached your majority.

Of course it’s possible.

This is the land where people used to gather

To picnic

And photograph

The mutilated bodies

Of Black Men

Who were still hanging,

Sometimes smoldering,

From the lynching tree.

Of course it’s possible.

This nation was built

On stolen land

And the spilled blood of

The people who’d lived here

For 10,000 years

Whose cultures

Were a marvel

Yet who were seen only as

Savages.

We used to say

That a Black woman could be

Trusted

To care for your child and your home

But could not be

Trusted

With respect

Or the use of the same bathroom.

This is a land

Where The Other

Is vilified,

Demonized,

And sent out

With the

Sins

Of the people

Placed on their

Backs.

Of course it’s possible.

II.

I know

Not all of those

Who supported

Donald Trump

Shared his

Racism,

Misogyny,

Xenophobia,

His fear of

The Other.

Yet the language he used

Was the language of

Divisiveness,

Of

Fear,

Of

Anger,

Of

Hate,

And those who supported

Him

At least tacitly

Approved

of

That.

III.

Only the

Blind

Can still say

“It’s not possible”

Today.

Only the

Innocent

Can believe that

Good will

And a return to

Civility

Is all that’s needed.

Only the

Privileged

Have the luxury

Of being

 

Surprised.

There’s too much to do …