All These Broken People

Summary

The poem "All These Broken People" by Lori Carlson reflects on the pain caused by the casual use of a racial slur within a family context and advocates for love, equality, and freedom from racism.

Abstract

"All These Broken People" is a poignant free verse poem that delves into the emotional turmoil experienced by the author upon hearing a family member use the N-word repeatedly and nonchalantly. The poem conveys a deep sense of betrayal and hurt, likening the use of the word to physical abuse and expressing a desire to eradicate it from existence. It underscores the contradiction between claiming to love God and inflicting pain on His children through racism. The author reveals a personal struggle with familial racism and a lifelong effort to distance herself from this inherited prejudice. The piece is a call to treat all individuals with dignity and respect, emphasizing the basic human rights to breathe, love, and live freely.

Opinions

The author feels deeply disturbed and betrayed by the use of the N-word by a loved one, considering it a stain that cannot be easily washed away.
There is a strong desire to remove the racial slur from the family's past and the world's vocabulary, replacing it with something beautiful.
The poem criticizes the hypocrisy of claiming religious devotion while perpetuating racism and causing suffering to others.
The author expresses a profound disconnect with her family and heritage due to their racism, indicating a long-standing personal conflict.
The poem advocates for the fundamental rights and equality of all individuals, particularly those marginalized by racism.

Free Verse Poetry — on Racism & the N-word

How does that word slip so easily from your lips? Those lips that claim love and plant sugary-sweet kisses upon my cheeks — you break me

The mere reference to that word churns my stomach — deadens me leaves me dirty and betrayed Your kisses, no longer delightful but slap, slap, slaps in the face

I want to erase that word from your memory banks remove it from our family’s past delete it from the world’s vocabulary and replace it with something beautiful

How can you claim to love God while so many of His children march in pain? All these broken people just begging to be treated as equals to breathe, to love — to be free, to live

This poem came about after a conversation with my sister. She was relating a story to me and used the N-word at least a dozen times — and laughed. Her laughter made me ill, dirty and I knew that not even a thousand baths could cleanse me of that filth — I’ve been trying to wash the family’s racism off of me for over fifty years. She didn’t even seem to notice that I didn’t laugh with her. Such a disconnect I have with her, with my family, with my heritage.