You’re Not A Poet Til the State Betrays You by Darius Simpson
You're Not A Poet Til the State Betrays You
Darius Simpsonwriting a poem is to punching a cop
what punching a cop is to voting blue
it’s like comparing apples to punching a cop
unc, this whiskey is callin me your name again
blood in the august sun dares me to jump
dirty knife in the sink sings about vengeance
untouched ammo screams about loneliness
am i a punk for writing the state’s mortality
can an empire bent on death ever die
do pigs fly to hell or is hell already in them
will angel wings make me a better fugitive
devil on both shoulders says squeeze
we all somebody’s child tryna get home
you’re not a poet til the state betrays you
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SHARED WITH GRATITUDE
This poem appeared in Flypaper, 2022.
ABOUT DARIUS SIMPSON
Darius Simpson is a New Afrikan writer, educator, performer, and skilled living room dancer from Akron, Ohio. His book Never Catch Me is available for purchase at buttonpoetry.com. Much like the means of production, he believes poetry must be used for the positive social, political, and economic development of the majority of society. Free The People! Free The Land! (Source)
Read more poems by Darius Simpson • Find books by this poet on Amazon • Bookshop • Follow on Instagram • Twitter • Website • Or view my library
ENDNOTES
- Explore other works in pursuit of: state • protest • violence • Or browse the index
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