I asked a talented poet—Caeli McKamey to compose a poem. The words carry a profound weight.
Silent Cries Speak Soliloquy
~~by Caeli McKamey
Vision-less negligence shackles my birth
Systemic diversity layered deceit distorted inclusivity
Blind prison sentences sleeping awareness no want for future
I sat in the cell you created to punish our souls
Learning the ways of the mute irate mistakes wrongly incriminated
Your response will be written in the black books hidden in our coffins
A selective history we live to tear from textbooks and voiceless libraries
Color-blind mental slaves watched and rewatched my death
Malevolent murderer’s glee created from lineages of lynching
Your white grip still bleeds a chain around my neck
I can feel the bigoted inferno that flames my souls
I replay my beg, my plea, my bow to the cement for your mercy, for my life
“Please don’t kill me”, echoes abound the creatures of limbo
The stairs to peace unveils the dead, taken by the system
A timeless 8 minutes and 46 seconds in the living souls
Their silent cries break mountains in the afterlife
Rev. George Lee, Lamar Smith, Emmett Louis Till, Willie Edwards Jr., Herbert Lee, Cpl. Roman Ducksworth Jr., Medgar Evers, Louis Allen, Virgil Lamar Ware, Jimmie Lee Jackson, Ben Chester White, Wharlest Jackson, Benjamin Brown, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,
Their silent cries must be vocalized vibrating through all streams of consciousness
Skin to skin, my coal to the cement fades into your white paste and I am nothing
The power that society has given you has shown your evil, choose wisely who protects us and find how to educate the protection
We will not let your people lock us in your extermination badge
We will not let our people continue to be imprisoned in your slow, deliberate, lifetime extinction of life
I watch from the fog the cities uniting for life to open your eyes as you rot in prison
We need systems, anarchy realized structure is necessary provided survival is peaceful
Dehumanization
You stole my life and my humanity…Where is the human in you?
I am heading to the white clouds which I will murk with the grey thunder
The rain will pour on your faces as you march until you realize the inferiority that still needs your attention
We must not fight fire with fire, Dr. King tells me from heaven
We must show them our power by peace and navigate the system to ensure that Black Lives Matter
Dr. King speaks from heaven, our death is not inconsequential, it is powerful to seek the Dr. King of the 21st century.
Stand up my friend and lead our way to structural peace for all.
I am George Floyd and I matter. Our cries will no longer be silenced.
WOW! THANK YOU! I will use this poem, Silent Cries, in my Translation class coming up in July.
Heather, thank you for reading and supporting my blog. I feel SILENT CRIES, by far, is the most important post (in five years) I’ve done.
Thank you so much for truly seeing my poem…It hurt my heart to write this and continues when I re-read. But, this message was inspired by C.L’s theme and it is an important piece to share I feel.
Caeli, your poem has touched me in ways you will never know. I am deeply moved. As we are from two cultures, you are able to so eloquently and poetically brings tears to my eyes. As a writer who has had this blog for five years, there have been many entries I’ve made, but your poem has risen far beyond what I could write. Thank you for your contribution, and deepest, profound creativity.
First, of foremost, thank you for being an inspiration to young black writers like myself. Also, for the powerful poem and if I think about everything that’s going on in our country right now and around the world, many of our people are still doing silent cries this day.
Dear Tida, thank you for your generous compliment. I believe there is an urgency and a necessity, to lift-up African American voices, with words that leave an imprint; showing the strengths and sacrifices of their history.
I agree, everything that is happening right now is a new world, where the black rights movement has taken a new level for the current society. This reminds me that racism still exists and dehumanizes and kills souls and lives. What has been going on and continues has gone against my core. As an ally, I will use my white privilege to tell others and keep speaking until everyone knows and preserves humanity.
C, Talented poet for sure. Extremely powerful words and expressions that brings chills and shame. I cannot get “you stole my life and humanity…where is the human in you” out of my head.
Today’s cries are no longer silent. The sound is loud and deserves justice. It is long overdue for what is morally right and fair. There are a lot of us out there who believe in these cries and want a supporting role in this movement. We need a “Dear White People” message so we do not mess up.
Dear Kay, this is a very powerful poem, not composed by an African American. It is most profound that Celia’s words sliced away the flesh and exposed the skeletons of a life for so many. It was not my aim with posting her poem, to point fingers and blame—but rather, evoke an inner reflection of what has—and what is—happening within this country.
Cheryl and Caeli, Thank you for your heartfelt work.
After absorbing both the blog and poem respectively, I didn’t realize how much it shook my core. I have posted a response and the link is below as it is a bit too long to include in this comment section.
Gary, since posting “Silent Cries” with Caeli’s profound poem, I’ve reflected many times its meaning. The lessons we can take away may be years in learning and accepting. I want to hold hope for us, as a society, these lessons will undoubtedly change attitudes about race and prejudice, based on the color of one’s skin.
Thank you all so much, hearing that it shakes us all makes me cry again. I have always felt others pain and wanted to speak up for those who are silenced.
Caeli, life has been most puzzling for a long time. I feel your poem helped make sense of so much. Thank you so much for your beautifully composed poem.
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Caeli, I remember when we first started exchanging ideas about the creative process. I was blown away about your art and writing. Thank you so much for supporting and contributing to my blog. It is an honor to know you. I’m deeply appreciative to your kind words. I write, as we’ve discussed from my soul, which is what we both share.
Caeli, you are an artist I admire. Thank you for your generous spirit and words.