Dream Deferred

Are we concerned that the faces of anguish and desperation
On rooftops, in apartment buildings, sleeping on highways
Wary from the walk, surviving the rising tide
Tired feet, sore bodies, hungry children
Walking to a promised land
Of sorts
Are we concerned that the faces of the nameless and homeless,
On television 24/7 or the hundreds of thousands still trapped
Susceptible to the devastating disease one never feared in
AMERICA
Walking to a land of broken promises,
Are those of our beautiful ebony brothers and sisters?

"I want to go to Canaan,
I want to go to Canaan,
I want to go to Canaan,
To meet 'em at de comin' day.
O, remember, let me go to Canaan”

The Superdome. Is that today’s Canaan?
My dear, I must complain about gas prices again!
Trying to get food anywhere, cause you haven’t eat nothin’ in days.
My dear, arrest those looters!
Baby, I lost everything. You did too. Think you’re gonna set up shop again in a few days.
Set up again, honey. My ass. Call ME a looter again.
Baby, what can I do? Show me your humanity. Give my children food as you do your own. Pray for me as you do yourself. Make love to your man, lay with him after and remind me what it feels like to be human. Cause right now, I’m not. They says that some souls have passed since the storm and others have come into this world since the wind done gone. I suppose that’s right. We gotta keep on livin, Don’t have much choice.