A Poem By Benjamin Zephaniah

SOS (Save Our Sons)
 
Wednesday, September 19, 2007.
 
 
By Benjamin Zephaniah
 
We Black men of EnglandToo proud to cry for shame,Let’s cry a seaCry publicly,Expose our very pain,For Babylon the banditIs on our sisters trail,The bad talkAnd the cool walkWill not keep us out of jail.We Black men of EnglandOur guns are killing us,How dare we?Now hear meHow great is dangerous?There’s a fascist and a druggistOut to get our kith and kin,Let silent gunsSave our sonsThe power is within.We Black men of EnglandExcel as if in sportFor our people,Because some peopleWant to see our face in court,When we Black men of EnglandLook the mirror in the face,Through our sisters eyesWe men shall riseAs proud sons of our race.
 
Copyright of Benjamin Zephaniah.�

 
Benjamin Zephaniah is a critically-acclaimed British poet, playwright and author. He also has his own rap/reggae band.
 
There are rumours that Zephaniah is Nelson Mandela’s favourite poet. He is also the only Rastafarian poet to be short-listed for the Chairs of Poetry for both Oxford and Cambridge universities. A civil rights activist, his latest novel, Teacher’s Dead, is available at all reputable bookshops.
 
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