{how much does a heart weigh}

to all the little black boys and girls who wonder if they are safe, valuable and loved. to all the black men and women who are afraid for their children, their family, their friends and their own lives. to all of the black community, your lives do matter and i am sorry we as a nation even have to have this conversation.

to all my black brothers and sisters, you are beautiful, you matter and this is for you.

How much does a heart weigh
How do you measure the amount of pain it carries
As it spills over through
Tears
Anger
Hate
Rage
Helplessness
And despair

How much does a heart weigh
How do you carry the burden
and remain a bird freed from the cage of deception
does the weight define your strength
or the weakness of others
it’s hard to decipher past the throbbing and burning of a heart in mourning

how much does a heart weigh
when it is measured only by the sins that would justify a violent death
when its past marks its future with a gravestone
and a crying baby in the backseat
a mother holding it together convincing the press that her son was loved
a son breaking down in tears, exposing softness and fragility

breaking down stereotypes of what you fear
and yet all you see is a reason to switch station to your favorite baseball team
or a news station promoting your ability to remain in your apathetically violent comfort zone

how much does a heart weigh
when it is not allowed to be angered by the death toll of people who look like
them
their brother
best friend
father
cousin
uncle
husband
when it is not allowed to mourn because it is reminded that everyone has a reason to mourn
so quiet your tears and hear the pain of others above your own

how much do these hearts weigh
how much do these lives matter
to you
the question is how much do these lives matter to you
because to the One who created them
they are priceless
like talib kweli says

we live in a place where little boys and girls are shells in the ocean
not knowing they’re a pearl

treated like broken glass
but Christ took that brokenness upon Him
and offers life and life abundant
so it should upset you that lives are being taken
and everyone wants to talk about how everyone matters
not noticing that their statement just paints over a bloody canvas of truth
black lives matter and it has to be said because the sickening truth is this nation is not convinced

how much does a heart weigh
when it’s pumping blood through veins encased by black skin seems to threaten you
and their untimely death ceasing to pulse life through their beautiful black body formed by the God who created them in His image seems to threaten you too

how much does a heart weigh

we will only know when we begin to listen,
carry the pain
and walk in to change

black lives matter