Words by Diane

black lives matter
when they are snuffed out
by a white police officer

when they are sucked out,
torn apart
the day before a date
declared by a white doctor,
black lives don't matter

when young black men murder
young black men,
black lives don't matter

black lives don't matter
when they say that more black men should be in gaol
or when they're named Jacinta

or when they're toddlers
and the cousins decide it's time for pack rape

black lives don't matter
when they're thirteen and beautiful
on the streets of the Alice:
they're just toys for sex,
forget them after

and their babies don't matter,
who needs a Dad?

black lives don't matter
when there's cards and flies and booze
or when there's no fresh food,
just empty tins of Sunshine

when there's Marx to please
and marks to win
from blacker powers,
black lives don't matter