Black and White

Paul Bress, UK

The whites sip latte on shady café terraces
While the blacks sweep the streets in the blazing sun
The whites live in spacious state-of-the art houses
While the blacks live in township shacks
The whites cruise the boulevards in their air-conditioned Mercedes
While the blacks shuffle off to work in cramped juddering trains
The whites talk as if confidence is in their genes
While the blacks murmur sir or boss with their heads dipped.

The blacks bang on restaurant windows begging for money
While the whites are forever digging in their pockets
The blacks malevolently loiter on street corners
While the whites are hammering out the next business deal
The blacks are responsible for all the crime
While the whites dutifully abide by all the laws
The blacks can’t control their sexual urges
While the whites maintain the fabric of society

South Africa
It’s black and white