By Anonymous
“This just in,” the news reports
“Renny Miles shot 25 times.”
While watching this, I want to abort
“Fifteen years ago, he was a man of many crimes.”
They display his mugshot when he was 16
I know him, our church deacon
Super kind man, lovable, never mean
He helped everywhere he could.
A true light beacon
Further reports indicate
He was out for an 8pm stroll
He just needed some air before he met his fate
From his mate this is what was told
The police felt he fit the description
He’s black, tall, fit
He posed no infliction
It always happens and the police will acquit
The news continues to express
All his criminal history when he was a kid
A way to justify how everyone should feel blessed
That the cops killed him when they did
I’ve been sad all year
Prior to this, five other black men were killed
The cops get a payout while the black community is in tears
We try so hard to remain strong-willed
My son walks in while I’m weeping
I look up embarrassed
“Oh my baby! I thought you were sleeping.”
He’s caught off guard by my red eyes and stands there staring
“What’s wrong, Mommy?” my 8-year-old asks
“Another man dead to police brutality.
You wouldn’t understand but preparing you for this is one of my tasks
As I need to teach you how to avoid this in continued vitality.”
“See, you’re cute and majestic now
But that will all change
As you grow older, stronger—you won’t be allowed
To, in this life, have a fair exchange.”
“You will be prejudged because of your skin
They will treat you unfairly, diminish opportunity
But please don’t allow them to dim your light within
Any bad deed reflects on your community
Good jobs and promotions will be hard to get
Mortgage loan approval may be exiguous
The oppressed history, they will forget
And undertone stereotypes will be ambiguous.”
My sweet son looks at me and retorts,
“But why are you crying?”
“Because in the opinion of public courts,
You will always be a threat and accused of not complying.”
“I’m crying because every day I turn on the television
And watch a lynching thru police shooting
And, you, as I see in my vision
Gone as the media tarnish your image with no disputing
My hope is that the racism could end
If people could educate themselves of the disparities acratic
Learning history could show where systemic racism begin
And limit the experiences that are traumatic.”
“I love you, my beautiful black son.”
