Sally Witt
We have seen with our eyes closed,
but we have not witnessed to the sufferings of our siblings.
We have seen with our eyes closed
but have not spoken of their terror.
Though we have seen with our eyes closed,
we have not allowed ourselves to hear injustice,
nor have we touched the system
that oppresses, beats down daily those of color.
We could not shout the truth;
our eyes were closed,
and we would not open them
for fear of seeming indiscreet
or losing the fragile privilege
of living in a safer world,
the privilege of eating the first fruits
then kindly letting others have the scraps.
We never saw anything amiss;
it must have been somewhere else,
maybe in the South
where such is custom,
or among the undeserving
who, of course, do not deserve.
Is not what we have seen
with our eyes closed
the truth
of our own lives?
