If
By CE
If I were an animal
Would I be prey or predator
A cat or dog
Would I be small or big
With fur or feather
Could I fly or crawl
I don’t know but
Those are the kinda things I be thinkin’
Like if I were white
Would I care about designer clothes
New rap songs
As well as black people…
Would I be racist or be in fear
Or if I was a girl
Would I respect myself
Maybe, but I wouldn’t know
‘Cause I’m not them
I can only be CE
So no one wouldn’t ever be my dictator
But the lord
The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.