Sunset to sunrise
Can’t you see the lies within their eyes?
They came to ruin our communities
Capital of the Black Middle Class, my a**
Is there still room for us?
“Renovating” my grandmothers house
We can’t afford to live here
Prices skyrocketing like we on a race to the moon
Shooting through our black roots
Ripping us from the foundation
Is this really my nation?
The nation that my grandparents grandparents built
The nation that is slowly shifting towards the “urban”
“What made Durham cool was the racial mix”
Using black bodies as a means of income
Speaks to how far we’ve come
Living in the inner city is hip now
But listen to this tip about how
Black people have been dying while y’all continuously thriving
The concrete jungle is now a humble
Location for the obronis to flourish
Planting million dollar projects like bamboo
Y’all don’t really give a f*ck who
Is being displaced by this mad race
Why is there always a price for progress?
Why is the price always
Black eyes and black cries
Do we matter here?
Sunset to sunrise
Please hear our cries
Elikem’s Corner, a series of poems from our Editor-In-Chief, Elikem Thee Poet. These poems give insight to a piece of her world; her own lived experiences and the experiences of people around her.
