Then, they came for my privilege

I was inspired to form this poem during a meeting with the Task Force on Racism group for the Massachusetts Teachers Association this morning:

First, they pushed off the Indigionous People,

They were savages and they had land I coveted, so I said nothing.

Next, they chatteled the blacks,

They were not human, and they allowed me to create great power, so I said nothing.

Then, they limited the hyphenated groups as: Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans, German-Americans, Asian-Americans, Jewish-Americans, and such.

They gave me opportunities and many assimilated, so I said nothing.

Now, I am supposed to feel bad for the history of what happened.

They are coming for what I am privileged to, so I say, “All lives matter.”