Machetes by Jason Reynolds
| Tragic news. Tragic headlines. What can be done? I'm starting by reading more, reading widely, reading with open eyes and and open heart. Read Jason Reynolds' searing poem Machetes, delivered at the Coretta Scott King Awards. Watch his powerful delivery here. |  |
| Some excellent books to read and further the discussion of racism, violence, and brutality. What additional books should be added to this list? | |
MACHETES
(written for and read during Coretta Scott King Honor acceptance speech, 2016)
if you listen closely
you can hear the machetes
cutting the air
in half
connecting for half a second with something
breathing and growing
breathing and growing
before being chopped
down like sugar cane in a Louisiana field
yes there are machetes everywhere
the sound of them cutting the air
chop CHOP
chop CHOP
we try not
to bend in the wind
try not to bow or bow
try to wrap fingers around our own
saccharine souls
and brace ourselves
for the
chop CHOP
chop CHOP
the machetes
cutting the air in half
coming for us
seems like folks like us be best
when we broken open
when we melted down
when we easier to digest
if you listen closely
you can hear the machetes
cutting the ears off
us
chop CHOP
chop CHOP
cold steel against our cheeks
be black sheep siblings
be black boy pillows
be
chop CHOP
chop CHOP
ears lopped off
leaving our drums in the dirt
like we ever needed ears
to hear God
like we ever needed ears to hear
the machetes
cutting the air
in half
the machetes
cutting the eyes out
us
retinas ripped
light left as a stain on the angry end of a blade
life in black and white blur
like we ever needed eyes to see red
to see gold
to see sunshine laughing yellow
to see those machetes
cutting the air
in half
chop CHOP
chop CHOP
those machetes
cutting us
in half
chop CHOP
dropping us down
to a manageable size
like gigantism be the only reason we giants
what you gon do with this ten foot fire in my belly?
what you gon do with tidal wave under my tongue?
aint nobody ever told you we always find our legs?
if you listen closely
you can hear the machetes
cutting the air
in half
chop CHOP
and if you listen even closer
you can hear
in the sliver of silence
between those chops
the clapping
clap CLAP
clap CLAP
the clapping of yester-generation’s
freedom songs
protest warriors
unpopular opinions
uncomfortable confrontation
unhinging truth
clap CLAP
and this generation’s
freedom songs
protest warriors
unpopular opinions
uncomfortable confrontation
unhinging truth
hashtag
clap CLAP
clap CLAP
the clapping of kids in the street
and grandmas at church
the clapping of aunties watching
their nieces lead the march now
the clapping of new connections
new routes
new alleyways
new allies
new chances
new dances
at house parties
because we’ve never needed
eyes ears or legs
to boogie because boogie
be our heartbeat
and if you listen closely
you can hear our heartbeat
in syncopation with that
clap CLAP
clap CLAP
our laughter
clap CLAP
our singing
clap CLAP
our dancing
clap CLAP
our fighting
clap CLAP
our praying
clap CLAP
our crying
clap CLAP
or trying to breathe and grow
in the midst of all this
chopping
yes there are machetes everywhere
and if you look closely
really closely
closer than closely
you can see the machine
turning its wheels
churning out those machetes
this machine
distant yet all around
like sky
faceless
and cold
and perfect for sharpening steel
because it has no finger to prick
it has never felt the sting of skin rolling back
because it doesn’t have skin
and the excuses of history keep its conveyor belt
rolling
rolling out
machete after machete after machete to
to cut the air
of so many of us
in half
no this machine
it does not feel
but it does speak
it says
get to work
chop chop
(written for and read during Coretta Scott King Honor acceptance speech, 2016)
if you listen closely
you can hear the machetes
cutting the air
in half
connecting for half a second with something
breathing and growing
breathing and growing
before being chopped
down like sugar cane in a Louisiana field
yes there are machetes everywhere
the sound of them cutting the air
chop CHOP
chop CHOP
we try not
to bend in the wind
try not to bow or bow
try to wrap fingers around our own
saccharine souls
and brace ourselves
for the
chop CHOP
chop CHOP
the machetes
cutting the air in half
coming for us
seems like folks like us be best
when we broken open
when we melted down
when we easier to digest
if you listen closely
you can hear the machetes
cutting the ears off
us
chop CHOP
chop CHOP
cold steel against our cheeks
be black sheep siblings
be black boy pillows
be
chop CHOP
chop CHOP
ears lopped off
leaving our drums in the dirt
like we ever needed ears
to hear God
like we ever needed ears to hear
the machetes
cutting the air
in half
the machetes
cutting the eyes out
us
retinas ripped
light left as a stain on the angry end of a blade
life in black and white blur
like we ever needed eyes to see red
to see gold
to see sunshine laughing yellow
to see those machetes
cutting the air
in half
chop CHOP
chop CHOP
those machetes
cutting us
in half
chop CHOP
dropping us down
to a manageable size
like gigantism be the only reason we giants
what you gon do with this ten foot fire in my belly?
what you gon do with tidal wave under my tongue?
aint nobody ever told you we always find our legs?
if you listen closely
you can hear the machetes
cutting the air
in half
chop CHOP
and if you listen even closer
you can hear
in the sliver of silence
between those chops
the clapping
clap CLAP
clap CLAP
the clapping of yester-generation’s
freedom songs
protest warriors
unpopular opinions
uncomfortable confrontation
unhinging truth
clap CLAP
and this generation’s
freedom songs
protest warriors
unpopular opinions
uncomfortable confrontation
unhinging truth
hashtag
clap CLAP
clap CLAP
the clapping of kids in the street
and grandmas at church
the clapping of aunties watching
their nieces lead the march now
the clapping of new connections
new routes
new alleyways
new allies
new chances
new dances
at house parties
because we’ve never needed
eyes ears or legs
to boogie because boogie
be our heartbeat
and if you listen closely
you can hear our heartbeat
in syncopation with that
clap CLAP
clap CLAP
our laughter
clap CLAP
our singing
clap CLAP
our dancing
clap CLAP
our fighting
clap CLAP
our praying
clap CLAP
our crying
clap CLAP
or trying to breathe and grow
in the midst of all this
chopping
yes there are machetes everywhere
and if you look closely
really closely
closer than closely
you can see the machine
turning its wheels
churning out those machetes
this machine
distant yet all around
like sky
faceless
and cold
and perfect for sharpening steel
because it has no finger to prick
it has never felt the sting of skin rolling back
because it doesn’t have skin
and the excuses of history keep its conveyor belt
rolling
rolling out
machete after machete after machete to
to cut the air
of so many of us
in half
no this machine
it does not feel
but it does speak
it says
get to work
chop chop
 | YOUNG DREAMERS This 2013 essay from Christopher Myers is well-worth rereading. "Literature is a place for imagination and intellect, for stretching the boundaries of our own narrow lives, for contextualizing the facts of our nonfictions within constellations of understanding that we would not be able to experience from the ground, for bringing our dreams and fictions into detail, clarity, and focus." "I want the children who see my books to see an encounter with the other as an opportunity, not a threat." |
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