Onterio D. Cross

The Cursed Ones is a collection of poems or thoughts that I created over a period of time. The Cursed Ones basically stems from what I see as the exemplification of a modern-day American man who happens to be black or an African American. Why are we cursed? Look at the bigger picture. A black man is judged from the day he leaves the womb, not only by the white man but by all men including his own. Growing up as a black man, you have to be a certain way, or you are basically exiled from the black social status. I fell victim to the judging of my own people. It wasnt until I gained the knowledge that I could truly break free of the barrier that I like to call social ignorance. This is just the tip of the iceberg. As black men, we truly mistreat our women not just in relationships but in the way we treat our daughters. The fact that we chose to mistreat them in turn makes it okay for them to be mistreated by the young kings that come into their lives, thinking that its okay to be a player. That girl who falls victim to being mistreated in turn submits to that idea, and either passes it to her daughter or punishes the man attempting to be good, turning him into a player. Its a cycle. Being a brother, that its a part of this cycle, I understand it all too well. The Cursed Ones also brings light to what we are blind to. What are we blind to? Injustice, racism, hatred, segregation, and so many other things in life. Its tough seeing a culture so rich in art and life and being mistreated and killed for a country we helped build. I grew up with the idea of black-on-black violence being a necessity to not be seen as a punk. Hopefully, this can give my young kings insight on a better direction to take when dealing with one another. We are the cursed ones.