I yelled at them
Shouting I see white people ‘
Cause I figured out what they looked like
I got punished by the white woman
She did not appreciate being called white woman
Being told that she can help me
But I meant something else
Like let me out of this place
Do not medicate me
Yet her righteous indignation had enough
Many men came and I blacked out
As the medicine seeped into my body
I became clear
As in 3 – 2 – 1
I sat up in my bed
Spoke to the black woman
Who was positioned to watch me
I was dying to sleep and my body would not cooperate
I reached out to her to let her know I understood
I think she told me to stop telling the doctors they are fools
That the nursing staff was a high quality
That the nursing staff at Downstate and the medial staff of Bellevue
Should get married for the community needed that type of team
They dismissed me easily for they were sure it was insanity
Puzzled that I spoke the languages I did
Confused that I did not know I spoke English
Passed two psychiatric evaluations
By two separate psychiatrists
My medication reactions disqualified me as needing care
I felt white people were tricking me through black hands
I walked out of that place before they could commit me
People wanted me to stop saying I see white people but I was surprised
I wish I could tell them there is a strange world outside my window
I am kind of wondering how to get back to Jamaica
The only Africa I have ever known
This all started cause two black men came in my room
I feared they were there to rape me
I ran down the hall yelling there are two black men in my room
And right now I see black people and I want to be under their protection
Patrice C. Queen
Shouting I see white people ‘
Cause I figured out what they looked like
I got punished by the white woman
She did not appreciate being called white woman
Being told that she can help me
But I meant something else
Like let me out of this place
Do not medicate me
Yet her righteous indignation had enough
Many men came and I blacked out
As the medicine seeped into my body
I became clear
As in 3 – 2 – 1
I sat up in my bed
Spoke to the black woman
Who was positioned to watch me
I was dying to sleep and my body would not cooperate
I reached out to her to let her know I understood
I think she told me to stop telling the doctors they are fools
That the nursing staff was a high quality
That the nursing staff at Downstate and the medial staff of Bellevue
Should get married for the community needed that type of team
They dismissed me easily for they were sure it was insanity
Puzzled that I spoke the languages I did
Confused that I did not know I spoke English
Passed two psychiatric evaluations
By two separate psychiatrists
My medication reactions disqualified me as needing care
I felt white people were tricking me through black hands
I walked out of that place before they could commit me
People wanted me to stop saying I see white people but I was surprised
I wish I could tell them there is a strange world outside my window
I am kind of wondering how to get back to Jamaica
The only Africa I have ever known
This all started cause two black men came in my room
I feared they were there to rape me
I ran down the hall yelling there are two black men in my room
And right now I see black people and I want to be under their protection
Patrice C. Queen
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