The Industry of Division 

By Genesis Be

So I think I’m gonna quit 

I ain’t happy here 

Punch In – Punch Out

I check my timeline at the right time 

Add my unwanted thoughts to the chorus of misery 

Speaking only to those who agree with me 

Passive-aggressive clapback

Against those who dare disagree 

I guess I’m just another worker bee 

Helping to build this hive 

Called The Industry of Division

I’ma grab a coffee, you want one? Cream and Sugar? 

They know that you and I will never bridge the divide 

Or reach out with humility to connect or confide 

That’s what these cubicles are for 

Anger festers behind keyboards and closed doors 

Stuck in an office of distrust 

Dishonesty

Disgust 

The fear they taught us keeps us employed here 

Clock in, clock out

Bow down while they cash out 

Too busy to reach out 

Heart closed, head down 

This is the new norm now 

I think we’ve been worn down 

By the Industry of Division 

Communication creates an opportunity

To poke holes in the theory of bigotry 

through scrutiny

A chance for the truth to be told

A chance to educate and reactivate

So why do we refuse to communicate? 

Instead we decide to elevate 

Pundits and panelists 

Political analysts 

Each story more scandalous 

They know what drives us

How to divide us

But I want to be brave 

To turn away

From the reinforced and repeated beliefs 

Advertised on this webpage 

And my carefully curated timeline 

Between insanity and reality is a fine line 

Don’t want to sit on the sidelines 

While my Nation eats itself alive 

Inflatin’ the prices of divine lives

Another statistic of bullets and ballistics 

Somethin’ twisted indignant

Using another’s pigment 

Gender or religion as ammunition 

There is an Industry of Division 

Causin’ addictions

Alcohol and prescriptions 

Money from panels and keynotes 

Talkin’ heads driven by ego 

Push that clickbait 

Force-feedin’ us sponsored ads at a sickenin’ rate 

Pushin’ false information

To the younger generation 

There’s no increase of compensation

This job ain’t got no benefits!

More likely to cancel another human

Than to reactivate them

Potentially collaborate with them 

So how do you solve a division problem? 

You must find the common denominator

We have more in common than we’d like to admit 

We all want to be able to care for our sick

We all need basic shelter and sustenance 

We all want to feel safe from the police and our government 

We all want our kids to have access to education 

We all want to see the vision 

That was promised by our Nation

I’m tired of tryin’ to rip you apart 

I want to speak with you 

open mind, open heart

We were all born with a spark 

A pure light that we have dimmed

Before this world taught us to degrade her

Or to hate him 

That light holds a Knowing 

A Knowing that you are my brother, my sister, my sibling 

A Knowing that your light is never worth dimming

This Knowing I choose to fight for

Maybe die for 

Use my voice and my gift to remind more 

That the division they taught us Was designed for 

Commodifying our soul Like products you buy in stores 

There’s an art to FREE THINKING 

Let’s regurgitate the Kool-Aid we’ve been drinkin’ 

Let’s unplug from the constant propaganda cycle

Let’s identify the bigotry in our history books and bibles 

Let’s go back to our adolescence 

When things were simple and FREE 

Let’s clean off our glasses 

So that the child in you 

Can see the child in me