Take my Body down

They want to take my Body down

Take it down as in:

Knock it down

Tear it down

Destroy it

Dismantle it like an old-timey, corrupt system

Except the mastermind behind this operation is

that very old-timey, corrupt system

My Black Body

Been the hot topic

At the top of everyone’s lists and wantonly

falling off everyone’s lips for centuries

The model for all desires

The exotic, oversexed brown sugar they want as their own

Yet couldn’t handle a few steps let alone

a walk around the block in this Black Body

Shackle it

Whip it

Hang it like strange fruit

Rape it

Enslave it

Terrorize it in the home, in the field, on the job,

and on the road

Colonize it

Globalize it

Dehumanize it

Contrary to popular belief

The price been going up

If not, why would anyone go through such epic lengths

to try to squander and control this empowered Black Body?

Yes, this empowered Black Body!

Celebrate it

Praise it

Appreciate it

Respect it

Uplift it

Cherish it

Enjoy it

Buddah Desmond aka BDez (he / him / they / them), is a writer / poet, artist, singer, entrepreneur, and health + wellness advocate based in the DMV. His writing highlights the gritty side of life, while offering messages of hope, love, healing, and resilience. He is the author of six poetry collections, Prevail: Poems on Love, Life, and Politics (2012), Exotic Shifter (2014), From The Inside Out: A Poetry Collection (2020), shifting from the inside out: love poems (2022), Everything I Miss(ed) At Home (2023), and Coming Up From the Downside: Finding Joy in Our Song (2024). He is a member of Gamma Xi Phi, a professional arts fraternity, and has served as a healing leader in the DC-based arts + faith + social justice organization, The Sanctuaries.