Not Me

I serve in your army.

I'm officially Jewish.

But because my skin is black

I'm not one of you.

I can't take off my black

and put it in my pocket

like a kippa when I want

to rent a flat!

And that Rabbi who hummed and ha'ad

and stared and then dared to say

"No! I won't marry you!"…

What can I do?

I'm just being me trying to live.

I was born in Hadassah, grew up in Lod –

I didn't walk from Ethiopia to Sudan –

Or bury my brothers along the way.

In our block most of us are black

and don't know how to speak up or fight

for our rights.

Is that how I'll be?

No, not me!