May 25, 2020
George Floyd: prone on the street, knee to his neck,
“I can’t breathe!” He pleads, “Don’t kill me.”
Onlookers object; he’s not resisting arrest,
“He’s human” falls on deaf ears above knees,
Unyielding.
The man’s pleas for his life continue, treated with no merit –
A father to two daughters, a friend and a son,
Big Floyd, the “gentle giant,” a “beautiful spirit,”
Only 46 years old – and over $20, he’s gone,
Unnecessarily.
On May 29th, after three days of protests all over the nation,
One officer is charged for his crimes and those of his brothers,
But three other policemen were present for this sin.
Will justice be served, or is George Floyd just another
“Unfortunate accident?”
Initially, the protesters peacefully assembled.
Then matters escalated to violence and looting.
Tear gas knew no difference between looters and passive protesters,
Nor did the rubber bullets police started shooting,
Unselectively.
A community enraged; this isn’t the first murdered woman or man:
Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Dontre Hamilton, Freddie Gray,
Tony Robinson, Jeremy McDole, Jonathan Sanders, Sandra Bland,
Samuel DuBose, Philando Castile, Meagan Hockaday,
Unending.
A nation torn, a society broken, like it always has been.
Slavery, segregation – there’ve been countless blows –
Racism runs deep in our country, throughout the whole system,
But it’s 2020, not 1619, and this is, we now know,
Unacceptable.
“I’m not racist,” you object. “I have a black friend.”
Or a token that earns you the right to tell blacks how to feel?
Quoting MLK, you urge peaceful protests, encourage the silence,
Yet you rant and you rage when Kaepernick kneels
Unobtrusively.
Tensions keep rising, emotions understandably high,
The human race is divided, and amidst all the nonsensical chatter,
Please understand that it’s not possible for all lives
To matter until black lives matter
Undeniably.
So many lives lost to discriminatory violence,
Leaving us stagnant and stuck in a loop of chaos that never settles,
But when hate is loud, love must not be silent.
Honor our humanity… We can do so much better:
Undivided. United.
Written by Chasidy Rae Sisk 5/31/20
