In her poem “The Tools'” Zuri Davis, who was a runner-up in the 2022 Justice & Mercy Poetry Contest for Young Adults, confronts readers with the harsh reality of violence inflicted on generations of Black individuals, perpetuating cycles of trauma to this day.
As we come to the end of this Black History Month, we ask readers to reflect on the collective and historical harm imposed on our Black brothers and sisters. Every person deserves to be treated with dignity, and every person is made in the image of God. Consider the ways that we, as a community, can repair and heal the sin of racism that continues to damage lives today.
The 2024 Justice & Mercy Poetry Contest for Young Adults is open now. Learn more and submit a poem today.
“The Tools"
By Zuri Davis
The whip
The rope
The bullet
The needle
These are the tools used to kill my people
My great-grandpapa got the whip
It started off like any other day
He did the tasks until his back was sore
While plotting his escape
When night came, he saw his chance
And tried to make his way to freedom
But master caught up and dragged him to a shed Where blood replaced sebum
My grandpapa got the rope
It started off like any other day
He was tending the citrus grove
In the hot Florida May
His bountiful crop put a neighbor to shame
So a crowd came that evening
They beat him, drowned him, burned him
My papa got the bullet
It started off like any other day He was driving to the office
When his Jaguar’s engine gave way He pulled over and called for help When an officer saw him standing there Reasoned the car couldn’t be his And shot my papa when he got scared
I got the needle
It started off like any other day I drove a friend to the gas station He went inside to pay
He came back with blood on his hands And $80 in his pocket
I swear I didn’t know he would kill a man But my name is still on the docket
The whip
The rope
The bullet
The needle
And left his body swinging
These are the tools used to kill innocent people
