A Conversation Between Two Men

A Collaboration Between Greg Frankson and Jonathan Greene

This is an iMessage conversation between two men that led to a poetic conversation between the same two men. One is White, American, a writer, a poet and interested in basic social justice for all. One is Black, Canadian, a writer, a poet and interested in basic social justice for all.

The conversation was sparked by the poem “A Gasp for Breath” and a response to it that castigated the White man for reacting in a way that was angrily misinterpreted as “less than genuine” by the commenter. Since this assertion was plainly false, it created consternation for both men. The Black man posted the incorrectness of the assertion, forced to protect the White man from another Black person’s misplaced venom. This is what happened next.

The iMessage Conversation

Greg Frankson (GF): I see that you saw my response. I resent that she put me in that situation where I had to defend you like that. It pisses me off that you felt you had no recourse but to ask me to do that. I don’t blame you for that. I think it’s shitty that it went down that way.

Jonathan Greene (JG): Yeah I’m sorry I had to call you in. It just all felt off to me like I had to respond in some way to give the context but she came back at it again. I don’t get it but I didn’t want to argue with her. Thanks.

GF: Again, I’m sorry. But I’m also grateful to you for quickly publishing my poem. It just came to me. I had to put it out there. Thank you for being my amplifier.

JG: It’s a great poem. Nothing should be amplified more now. I just watched the video of the Minneapolis police arresting an entire CNN film crew for standing.

GF: Yes, I shared that on my personal FB timeline this morning, right before I went on my call. The other CNN crew that was onsite (with a white reporter) was treated professionally at the same time Jimenez and his crew were taken into custody. I just don’t understand how America needs more proof of its institutionalized racism when it was literally being beamed into their living rooms on live TV.

JG: Just from a logic perspective, even if the whole Minneapolis police force was racist, how can they be so dumb to do what they just did, after what happened (Chauvin has 18 prior complaints) on national TV with Jimenez explaining that he will go wherever they want. The Trumpers just shut their eyes, all fiction to them. I think they do it on purpose, like Trump, to assert more power which only makes it all worse and it’s just so ridiculous to watch. We will go anywhere you want us to — arrested.

GF: This is not news to me. That it’s news to any American (or Canadian for that matter) speaks to willful blindness that has crossed the line into malice, and seems content to live there.

JG: Heads in the sand or “I am not like that” mentality is pervasive.

GF: The other thing I see a lot is what Amy Cooper did in Central Park this week: White person does something clearly racist and explains away their mistake by saying “I’m not a racist.” Dude, I get that you don’t think you’re a racist. So let’s do a thought experiment for a moment: let’s say I accept that statement completely. You’re not a racist. So does that mean your action wasn’t racist? No. Does that mean you didn’t cause harm to a person based on his appearance? No. So is it possible to do some racist shit even if you’re “not a racist”? Yes.

JG: Of course. That’s like saying I have Black friends. They don’t get it. How can you not be racist when you are yelling I am going to tell them there is a BLACK man attacking me? Those apologies are a joke, they aren’t apologies because they miss the inherent racism underneath it. Why did you say Black man? Why was race a part of it if it was a park argument?

GF: Until White people get that, we can’t move forward. Doing racist shit doesn’t make you a racist. But doing racist shit means that you are the perpetrator of some racist shit.

JG: Right — racism and racist can be different but they are both a complete failure of self.

GF: Precisely.

The Poetic Conversation

JG

The comment was that I can’t relate and to that, solely, I can’t debate How could I? I see the mirror I see who is staring back at me Someone likely to be overlooked, transparent to the blue line that is broken all over the nation

GF

lines dotted and dashed like men dashing not across but away from those lines that blue line that defines what i face every day because my face stokes the response that it’s a thin (blue) line between love and hate

JG

I don’t know what it must feel like to just be, and because of that, have others want to cross that line for no other reason than their perception of pigmentation and what it means to them, so lost to think that they are not a part of the crumbled history that lies at our feet and in our streets unfolding on national television in front of both of our eyes Ours in disbelief theirs in relief

GF

remember how mad some people got when Ice-T dropped Cop Killer? how many of them are mad now that we defrocked more Killer Cops? it’s got to stop before another brother gets popped and another mother turns her son over to dust and dirt to feed your crops and the apologists for murder that happened right in front of their eyes feel no need to disguise what their lies actualize as licenses to die for those they despise and terrorize in the name of justice please — give it a rest before a new arrest brings death by those unable to trust us based on a lie rooted in the original sin of a nation birthed enslaving Black skin.

JG

When I see these videos, I always wonder what the other blues were doing while they watched life go out and whether they thought throughout to put a stop to the injustice because when they didn’t, when George was still helpable, they became culpable and even though it wasn’t their knee they put their collective weight on his neck by their inaction

GF

inaction, or in action? it was passive participation in the eradication of one man’s life. it doesn’t matter if today it was George Floyd and tomorrow it could be another when i look in the mirror or the character(s) of this poetry as i know and as you can see we cannot cease to wonder whether the next GF to cop to a plea of i can’t breathe will be me.

Poetry © A. Gregory Frankson and Jonathan Greene, 2020. All rights reserved.

Greg Frankson is a former Canadian national poetry slam champion with words published in collections, anthologies, audiovisual recordings and literary journals. He was the poet laureate for the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership and on-air current affairs poetic commentator for CBC Radio One. Follow Greg on Twitter, Instagram and Medium (@greg_frankson).

Jonathan Greene is a father, poet, writer, real estate investor, certified life coach, podcaster, sociable introvert, and former attorney. He spends his time curating a meaningful life. Follow him on Instagram (@trustgreene) or on the web at trustgreene.com.