Hard to Defend (Poem)

As a black woman
I know what you have to offer
The path you took to get here
What the cost was
Your biggest fear
is that they don't treat you like the others
But your melanin is not all that appears
when you walk up
You know what this is talk of
Black men, you are bold and beautiful
But so many of you are thoughtless
You say, it's the image that's portrayed of you
But I have witnessed many times
You perpetuate that point of view
Disrespecting women, committing crimes
Failure to thrive in school
The statistics tell no lies
Good black men are few
Or maybe just hard to find
You see it's easy to get confused
So easy to misconstrue
No one gets a pass to judge
But then that must extend to you
My brothers, you don't get a pass for being broken men
To behave like an outlaw
thinking "good hearts" makes you exempt
Or to assume the few good should bear the weight of your sins
To mistreat your community, yourself and your women
Then lash out in a fit of rage when they fear you in that skin
It is not really your color, it is what you represent
Because even the good guys refuse to condemn
They fail to uplift these brothers whom they call friend
So when them boys shoot you down it's hard for me to defend
Wrong is wrong and right is right
But I can't even pretend
When it comes to fight or flight
Certain factors mix in
We are our own biggest problem
Not armed uniformed men