Waiting is No Friend of Ours
by Buddah Desmond
You say you “agree” with why we fight
But shade us for how we fight
Respectability never saved any of us from
discrimination, exploitation, gunshots,
medical manipulation, sexual assault,
Southern trees, or police brutality
You call yourself an “ally”
But are hesitant to stand with us
You tell us we should wait
No one waits for freedom
No one waits for liberation
Waiting is no friend of ours
Waiting is no friend of progress
This is why we stand
Why we rise
Why we lift our voices
Why we channel our pain in the fight to end
social injustice and oppression of any kind
This is why we act
And why stopping has never been an option
Without the inclusion of Black and Brown lives
Liberty and justice for all will never ring true.
Buddah Desmond aka BDez (he / him / they / them), is a writer / poet, artist, singer, entrepreneur, and health + wellness advocate based in the DMV. His writing highlights the gritty side of life, while offering messages of hope, love, healing, and resilience. He is the author of six poetry collections, Prevail: Poems on Love, Life, and Politics (2012), Exotic Shifter (2014), From The Inside Out: A Poetry Collection (2020), shifting from the inside out: love poems (2022), Everything I Miss(ed) At Home (2023), and Coming Up From the Downside: Finding Joy in Our Song (2024). He is a member of Gamma Xi Phi, a professional arts fraternity, and has served as a healing leader in the DC-based arts + faith + social justice organization, The Sanctuaries.