A Letter to Malcolm

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by DrawWithJello

by DrawWithJello

*Finally, something that's not an imitation. To be honest, I was just trying to meet the requirements for this one.... I'm not good at writing poems, so you could read this if you wanna suffer. Jk jk. I got full marks on it so it has to be good. This was written for my 10th grade English Honors class. And by the way, the only reason why the topic was Malcolm X was because my teacher didn't give us a choice...*

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I wrote Ode To Malcolm X
And I realised that there was nothing next
I stare at my work with an expression
That is just as blank as my paper
I need to leave a good impression

I sit and ponder
My pen goes TAP TAP TAP
"Is It possible?" I wonder

How can one recreate
A man with many characters
While trying not to mutilate
One of them?

Malcolm X is a difficult case
For he is like a coin
It is different depending on which side you face

Malcolm X is like the seasons
Each season isn't exactly the same
Which is why each has a different name
That's it!!

After all the silent blinking and thinking
A light bulb turned on and I was drawn
To it like a fly

I'll treat each name differently
Then combine it at the end
And it would appear to be a message I could send

Now, time to begin

Dear Malcolm Little
Get off your high horse
Don't call your darker brothers worse
No matter how much you try to assimilate
The world is still full of hate
Not one drop of black blood could escape
The lynching, the murder and the rape
They call you n***r like it's your name
They laugh at your dreams like it's a game
You'll always be different, not the same

Dear Detroit Red
Seriously man, what's wrong with your head??
Yes, you were living but you were practically dead
Everyday you were on tons of drugs and dope
Somehow you survived on the end of your rope
The police were evaded on every corner
When people hit tragedy, you weren't a mourner
You lived your life in a fast pace
All of your actions were full of disgrace
You had a brain, but it went to waste

Dear Malcolm X
Honestly, I like you the best
You used knowledge to get out of your mess
Through your desire to preach
You learned how to make a really good speech
But, you betrayed your own brother
Only because you believed in another
You believed in him with all your heart
I rather not start
On how religion drew you apart

Dear El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz
Congrats you did it! You found the truth
(Something you needed in your youth)
The trips to Mecca opened your eyes
And taught you love those you despise
Racism would end if we go the religious route
(I honestly doubt that it would work out)
Violence is something that you condemn
Unless peace could only suspend
Something that a fight could easily end

Dear Malcolm Little
Dear Detroit Red
Dear Malcolm X
Dear El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz

You're a man of many faces
Whose been to many places

You were a cure in the time a disease
Or more like a vaccine
An idea makes people feel the opposite of ease

Even though you don't boast
Your what we needed the most
You cured ignorance by thinking with your head
If you didn't, you would have been both mentally and physically dead

Even though I don't believe that you're completely correct
I still give you all of my respect

Sincerely
Cheryl Wilkins