Racism is neatly folded
Into the recesses of my mind
Delivered to my past systematically
Without fanfare or
Prickly emotions
Woven into my upbringing
Without acknowledgement
It takes
Painful intricate precision
To go back and surgically remove it
From my mind
And then bravery to apologize
To the loved ones I have hurt
Before I was conscious of the harm
I was inflicting on them
But it is with urgency
This work must be done
Black lives depend on this