Surrounded by poverty and depression.
Looking into faces that shows no expression.
Their eyes hollow and starring into space.
To a different time, a different place.
As I walk pass their gazes never shift.
Their lashes never blink, heads never lift.

Diminished to a time that supposed to be best for us.
Being lied to, mis-used, put to the side, without putting up a fuss.
Us belittled, degraded, spit on, walked pass.
Shot at, herded together, beat, and blasted.
This is supposed to be the time when we shine.
We won't step up and sharpen our minds.

We are not playing roles of a destitute.
Society, has made us destitute people.
It has stripped us of any knowledge of our history.
Until it has come to be a great mystery.
Claimed everything that we've done as their own.
Making our process slow, tedious, and long.

They hung, whipped, and tortured us.
Injected us with diseases when we gave them our trust.
Told us that our way wasn't the right way.
If we didn't do what they said we'd die today.

We were peaceful people, run over by deceitful people.
They only knew oppression and tragedy.
I say what they say is blasphemy.
It was our people that was magnificent and great.
That we served our kings and queens from gold trimmed plates.
To say that we are nothing, useless,no good.
We were much more than that until they stole our hood.