Knowhut’msayin’?

Last night,

two African-American youths

beat up my friends

and divested them

of their money

bus tickets

and cigarettes

not to mention

half a roll

of Tums,

even though my friends

told them:

’Look, man--

we’re as poor as you,

and we're not the ones

who fucked you over.′

This incident doesn’t

dissolve my esteem

for the African-American

Community

still,

why’s a

nigga

gotta BE

that way?