Every passing time,

Every thought in your mind,

Rings through as

“Oh how I wish,

How I wish I was privileged.

How I wish I was white.”

A sullen somber night rocks you to sleep,

People crowding, yelling, fighting.

Nothing between you and them,

Except a white man.

A group of white men

Being stopped by one white man

Over a singular black man.

You’re thinking

“Oh how I wish,

How I wish I was privileged.

How I wish I was white.”

Your skin is a faint difference to you,

But to them it is the world.

It solves the problems,

It finds the blame.

Your name is known by everyone in town

But not for the right reasons.

They know you’re black

They know you’re a man

They don’t know you’re innocent.

But they still know you’re black,

And that’s all that matters.

Every night

You pray and hope,

“Oh how I wish,

How I wish I was privileged.

How I wish I was white.”

Yet,

Your prayers aren’t heard

Your innocence isn’t proven,

Your skin tone gets you murdered.

Every day after

Your mother thinks

And prays

And cries

“Oh how I wish,

How I wish I was privileged.

How I wish I was white.”