A Sister's Last Words by Lily Zerihun

Little Brother
Wide eyed dreams
Your laugh's like thunder
I'll let you free
My shelter's not enough
And all I have
Are these words
I'm crying cause
They just might be my last

I wish I could be there
When he pulls out his gun
If I could catch your body
As the world holds your name
On its tongue
For just a fleeting moment
Till you fade to darkness
Because of your darkness
The killers will run free
With your blood on their hands

They'll scrape your head raw
On whitewashed concrete
Cause your bruised and bloody body's all
Red Black and Blue
But there's no freedom in that

The blood of Mama Africa
Coursed through the veins
of Trayvon Martin
Tamir
Mohamedtaha Omar
Adam Mekki
Muhannad Tairab
But the world didn't bother
To tell you their names.

Their blood still courses
Through our veins
Their names still
linger on our tongues
Long after they're forgotten

Little Brother
I'm letting you go
In the land of the free
In the home of the brave
They still hold you in shackles
The slave ship
Is a prison cell

All I have left for you are these words
These prayers are
drenched with the tears of
my Mother

My shelter's not enough
Be strong for us.
I'm letting you free
Spread your wings
Baby brother
Just don't let them see
The strength
that pulses through your veins
lest again
They fear your blackness
Batter blinding bullets
Bloody blistered bruises
On Black Boys' Bodies

Little Brother
Wide eyed dreams
Your laugh's like thunder
I'll let you free
My shelter's not enough
And all I have
Are these words
I'm crying cause
They just might be my last

by Lily Zerihun
Originally published on March 01, 2016