HYPOCRITES

To the black guy across the street,
wearing a hoodie, low rise jeans, and Jordans,

I can hear your keychain moving-sounds from your pants
I can hear the music you are so recklessly listening to
I can hear your steps as they get closer to me
And inside me rises a discomfort
Almost as if I feel in danger
It is a feeling I am all too familiar with
Every time I see you I go the other way,
I look the other way
And wish you would go away
The only explanation I could come up with
The only thing that seems to make sense to me
Is that I have been conditioned by society to see you as a threat
And to feel that your presence is to my life a threat
Of course, I have been conditioned,
or have I?
The truth is I am just like them
I too like them walk the other way when I see you
I too think you could and should do better
I too think that you have thrown your life away and choose the “streets”
I am just like them
All of them
Who am I to say that I have been conditioned when I am a fully aware participant
Just like them, I have judged you for your race and style
Like them, I have put you in a box and never gave you a chance to express yourself
My hypocritical ass though she could get away with it by saying that she has been conditioned by “society”,
A society she is an active participant of
I participate knowing very well that you are not all that they say you are
I am fully aware that your presence is not to my life a threat
And yet,
Every time I see you I cross the street to keep an eye on you from afar
Fully aware and yet acting so ignorant
This is not an apology letter
I am not here to say that I am sorry
I am here to come clean
Here to say that I have participated in the daily judgment you undergo
Here because I felt you are a threat although the worst thing you’ve done is walk behind me
I come clean and here is the deal
You should to
I am not the only one who has been hypocritical
Am I?
If I can not blame my prejudices toward you on society
You can no longer blame society for your bad actions
I know we (society) don’t leave you with a lot to work with
But a deal is a deal

With love,

The person in front of you