I Am Not A Human Being

By Don Benish

I am not a human being.
I am a negro slave.
The master says I am an ox
Born to pull a plow,
My father was an ape
And my mother, a water buffalo.
I wonder, is this truth?
In this land
Men herd cattle into pens.
In the dark land
Men herded negroes into pens.
Are we no more than cattle
To be herded and yoked?

A tall man says it is wrong
To own negro slaves.
The master asks 'Why?'
They are not human beings,
Only farm animals.
I need them to till the soil
And to pick my cotton.
Both say they are right.
They fight; many die.
Now, the master is beaten.
He says that I may go, but
I am still not a human being

I am spat upon wherever I go.
Do not let the sun set on you here.
Do not live next to me.
Stay out of my schools.
Do not drink my water.
You cannot be my equal.
I am unwanted.
In a far away land
Others are herded together,
Put into ovens and burned.
Jews were also unwanted
They were not human beings.

I take up your space
And violate your privacy.
It is your right to choose
Who shall live
And who shall die.
I am an unwanted parasite
Or perhaps a terrible disease.
I offend you, but
You brought me here!
Now you want to destroy me.
I am not a human being.
I am your unborn child.

The End