you are
nowhere to be found
until I walk into the restaurant
hunger shutting my eyes to see
no
black people in here
I sit and wait, and wait
to be attended to, all waiters
ignoring my call, my signaling
comes the manager saying
“ we
do not serve your kind here”
I look all around me and
find the absence of diversity
starring back at me
I
laugh and say, “Oh there you are”
“Racism, there you are”
“long
time no see”
As I introduce myself
to class and mention
I am African, Liberian
somebody snickers
silent
whispers of “Ebola”
for a minute I thought I was free
of you, a whole day in different
classes and you do not show
as those words were muttered
I
laughed
and said “oh there you are racism”
“Long time no see”
Oh racism you hide
but I see you as I am
stopped and questioned
by
the law wanting to know
why I jog
the streets of Ferguson
“Because I am black?”
for an hour
you do not show
I sigh and look up to heaven and wonder
when will I die and leave this earth
where to be black is nothing but a crime
I laugh as they cuffed me and said
“Oh racism there you are”
“Long time no see”
