[Author’s Note: I read an article from the Atlantic, got enraged, got inspired, and out came this poem. “The Coronavirus Was an
Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying“].
Black and Latino workers are overrepresented among the essential,
the unemployed, and the dead.
But to those in power that is how it should be since these are not
important people to them.
These are the vermin, the welfare queens who sit at home all day
collecting unemployment so why should they matter?
These “essential” workers do not contribute millions to campaigns
for politicians or petition to eliminate public schools.
The people who should be protected, whose lives matter, want to be served,
and those who serve deserve to suffer for the good of their betters.
They serve because they are stupid and lazy and cannot get good jobs
to buy yachts and lake houses and host fundraisers.
Black and Latino workers are overrepresented among the essential,
the unemployed, and the dead.
The commissioner in California rejoices at their imminent deaths,
the virus is culling the herd of the weak, poor, and worthless.
The mentally ill veteran was not strong enough, the junkie is pathetic
The streets will be cleaner when they are not around.
Those who do not give bribes to the politicians who maintain the system
only take from it, drain it.
Let them die, it will be less of a burden for the rest overall,
let them die at their jobs, they can be replaced.
No sick days, no healthcare, they do not deserve the benefits of the first world
since most came from the third.
Black and Latino workers are overrepresented among the essential,
the unemployed, and the dead.
This is the racial contract which the broken system supports,
some people’s lives are worth protecting, others are not.
And if those who are the better people are not in danger then why
should they suffer to protect the lesser people?
Hair needs cut, nails need painted, spring wardrobes updated to look their best,
This is about Liberty, Freedom, Independence!
Confront the police with guns, scream in their faces, swear at the nurses
and block the hospitals until everything reopens.
All Lives Matter, except Black Lives, Brown Lives
their lives are a waste anyway
Black and Latino workers are overrepresented among the essential,
the unemployed, and the dead.
This makes me sick, makes me angry, makes me rage
Protect all life you scream, unless that life cleans your floors,
cooks your food and stocks your shelves.
Those lives are replaceable, they are not the regular folks in Brown county.
Are we really like this? My neighbors and Facebook friends?
Is this what we give into, threats of violence and guns in our faces
and we back down and step back 6 paces.
Or will we stand up and fight to protect those deemed essential right now?
And keep the fight up in the fall, the winter, next year, the next five years.
We must remember, essential workers saved us and deserve a living wage
And hospital treatments that do not leave a family homeless.
Black and Latino workers are overrepresented among the essential,
the unemployed, and the dead.
Remember this line, remember what was said by media and representatives
when they get back to congress and say no to a living wage and
treat healthcare like a privilege.
Scream and remind them who suffered, who sacrificed, and what we learned.
Sick days limit contagion, savings lessens a burden, fast treatment saves lives.
Those who bailed out Wall street and forgot main street do not care
about you or me, especially if we are not white.
Rally for your neighbors, repeat the number of the dead,
and never let them tell us some people deserve to suffer, to be poor.
Congressmen did not suffer, billionaires did not suffer, we suffered.
Black and Latino workers are overrepresented among the essential,
the unemployed, and the dead.
Let this be the epitaph for 2020.
The chant for the changes we must make.
The eulogy for the Great America.
Black and Latino workers are overrepresented among the essential,
the unemployed, and the dead.
(Meet Mago Contributor) Francesca Tronetti.