Typecast

Typecast

What if they didn’t know you weren’t from the ghetto,

weren’t raised in the projects, weren’t out on the streets?

What if they didn’t know you had a good public school education,

went to college out of state, and managed to hold a job wherever you lived?

What if they didn’t know when you were little, you were afraid of the dark,

thunderstorms, popping balloons and hated the sound of silence?

What if they didn’t know silent darkness, failure and being alone,

are the only few things today that scare you? 

What if they didn’t know you watch CNN, The History Channel,

Cartoon Network, HBO and Turner Classic Movies all the time?

What if they didn’t know you ever joined a sports team,

ever got into a fist fight, and ever tried any drugs?

What if they didn’t know you rarely listen to rap songs, barely utter a swear word,

and almost never refer to yourself or anyone you know as a derogatory slang?

What if they didn’t know you spend most of your time writing poetry,

short stories, scripts, articles and reviews?

What if they didn’t know you also act, sing, direct, paint and probably dance?

What if they didn’t know you enjoy more music than what they assume you’d listen to?

What if they didn’t know you read more than just magazines?

What if they didn’t know you study many cultures besides even your own?

What if they didn’t know you are a pacifist and a Christian?

Would they try to take advantage of you?

Would they automatically discriminate against you?

Would they be afraid of you?

Would they run to you?

Would they hire you?

Would they fire you?

Would they avoid you?

Would they challenge you?

Would they help you?

Would they hurt you?

Would they hate you?

Would they love you?

Would they simply assume they know you…

…if they didn’t really know you?