A Black person driving a car

Poem

Art is a powerful cultural tool. It has the ability to change society slowly over time or, on more rare occasions, overnight. Here at the Kansas Constitutional, we believe art can be used as a force to uphold freedom, American patriotism, and beauty in general. Afterall, art is one of the first things dictators throughout history would seek to alter and destroy. One of the greatest forms of art, in my humble opinion, is poetry. It is because of all these reasons I hope to inspire, encourage, and challenge my readers to be the greatest people they can be through the use of this beautiful art form.

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A Black person driving a car

     I

A Black person—driving a car—
stopped a white liberal
on the side of the road.
     They said,
          “Can you help me?
          I’m trying to go
          to a place called, ‘Breathe Easy,’
          do you know?”

The white liberal said,
     “I think I might know
     where WE need to go.
     Just scoot on over,
     let me drive your car,
     I don’t have a map,
     but I’m sure we’ll go far!”

So, the white liberal—in time—
took over the wheel.
     They drive down the road—
     They take a hard Left—
     They run off the road—
     They crash—and explode—

     The Media came,
     said, “Oh, what a shame
          that a BLACK life was lost
(Since it was not taken
by a BLACK hand,
of course).
     And the white liberal was there,
     can you see how they care?!
     What would we do
     without them?


     II

A Person—who happened to be Black—
driving a car—
stopped Me on the side of the road.
     They said,
          “Can You help Me?
          I’m trying to go
          to a place called, ‘Breathe Easy,’
          do You know?”

“I’m not sure of the way,”
I, honestly, say.
“I’ve been trying to get there, Myself.
I know that You go
just up the road
a mile or two,
then make a right on ‘Will Do.’
And then, once again,
You may need to ask—for direction,
but hey, don’t We all?
That’s Our Human Connection
after all.”

They smile at Me,
and thank Me kindly,
and with Power in Their Engine—
with Choice in Their Wheel—
They go on Their way
to drive where They may.

I—as one soul—
go with My Own Time
‘til a white lib stops Me,
and curses My Name.
     “A BLACK needed help
     and you did not do more!
     You’re a Nazi, a Racist, a Fool!”

I shrug them away
since I have a short Day,
and a long road—ahead of me—
I’m going to the place—called, ‘Breathe Easy’!

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ABOUT THE POET: I. D. Brannan is a born and raised Kansan. He has written for the Emporia Gazette, the Branson Register, The Oakland Express, Baldwin City Living Magazine, and GE Magazine before starting The Kansas Constitutional. Brannan’s poetry has won 1st Place in the 2020 Burford Theatre Poetry Contest and the 2020 Kansas Author’s Club Literary Contest (Japanese Forms) and has placed in several other contests. His poetry has also been featured in The Best of Mile Marker Review, Whistling Shade Literary Review, Grand Little Things, WestWard Quarterly Literary Magazine, the Fib Review, the I Hate Poetry Podcast, and on merchandise in the Indie Treasure online store.