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"Moving" by Monica WP

*A poem about class and settling of families in Black communities. Inspired by my family story of my parents buying land, building their first home, and moving out of the city to a suburb*

They chose to up and go away
From the place society told them
They were born to stay

And I went with them
Most of the way
Until I realized
Not everyone came with us

Then I decided to go back
To find out why
And that's where I am still,
Today

So I saw why they left
And I saw why they stayed
And I realized
It wasn't about staying
Or going

But about how we could house our bits of freedom
Forever indebted to the burden of hope
No matter where we went
We saw its limit
And darker spirits aligned to keep us in it

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