I Love You, But

I love you, but

Abstain 

From the homophobic

Tendencies present in your

Behavior, your language, your—

Yo.

Your sisters kissed 

Andrea Jenkins. Your sons 

Spooned with James Baldwin.

No mo homo 

Phobia.

I love you, but 

Attempt to read actual literature,

Instagram posts excluded.

The running joke states 

That the best place to 

Hide money from your eyes

Rest on a bookshelf—a book

For you will never open one.

I love you, 

But you clothe yourself in

Baggy Jeans

Down to your knees,

Displaying your 

Calvin Klein Boxers—Bruh?

The number of people estimated on earth, 

Eight Billion; the number of people

Clamoring for that scene in their 

Peripheral—eight billion minus eight billion!

I love you, but

You supported Orenthal 

James, knowing he slaughtered 

Nicole—you said they deserved 

Payback for Rodney King!

You vengeful racist!

I love you but, your

Internalized racism dilutes 

The red, 

The black, 

The green,

When you vocalized

That your heart

Beats faster—in terror—in the black night, 

Walking in  your 

Own neighborhood. 

I love you, but

Your malevolent misogyny;

You literally said:

“All I got for hoes is hard 

Dick and bubblegum.”

Misunderstanding you say?

Yo! 

Your words:

“Slut, you think I won't choke no whore 

Til the vocal cords don't work in her throat no more?!”

Yo!

What would your momma—

Love Aunt Flo!

You fuckin homophobic, illiterate, 

baggy jeans wearing, racist, internalized racist,

Misogynistic—

But I love you.