Papa

Papa was a good man He taught my mother to stand tall and hold up her head Kill 'em with kindness he said But how can I be kind When they look us in the eye and watch us die How can I be brave When all I know is how to be afraid I hope to be half the man my Papa was some day Mama says I have my Papa's eyes She told me to be kind cause it'll kill them in time I'd like to think she wouldn't lie How can I see through When all I see's the Black being killed by the blue My Papa, Mama says, lives on in you Sandra couldn't drive fast enough They're out here killing our young Trayvon and Tamir are just kids who should be here Papa couldn't outrun the gun Ahmaud couldn't run fast enough I can't breathe is all that George and Eric could scream Mama is older than her Papa was When Dagmar wielded a gun My Papa was too young to be found dead by his son I am angry, I'm betrayed And I've been scared from too young an age That I'll end up like my Papa some day