Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Not so wonderful...world (In the wake of the Michael Brown decision)

I see Dreams deferred
hopes been denied
justice blindsided...
                           while children died
and I think to myself
it's a
not so wonderful world
think to myself
not so wonderful
seen hate be allowed
                            to fester and grow
cameras confusing people
with the pictures they show
and I think to myself
it's a
not so wonderful world
think to myself
it is all not so wonderful
world

He was a demon charging at me
he said
I feared for my life...
he said
and a jury of his peers said
he had done no wrong
grand in their decision said
the supposed prosecutor as he grandstanded
on stage
there will be no indictment of him
he said
he said his acts were lawful
and there was probable cause
for all his acts had caused
destruction, division, death...
to a child...a son...a friend
death...
to dreams-to faith-to community
death to an unarmed teen
is murder...
murder we said
as we stood in solidarity
in front of a house of cards
a building of false pretense
where the law pretends to defend the defenseless
outside we said
maybe today
on this night we believed
ever so slightly
that justice may prevail
maybe
yet they said the prevalence of evidence
was overwhelmingly in his favor
we said it always is
it seems
or it is...always
and it seems we had no more to say
and the President says this is a land of law
he said that something good can come out of this
but we said we have heard it all
before
why?
he has said it...already
after Trayvon, after Jordan, after-insert name here
and regardless of our fear we no longer
hear him...
on this night we are deaf to the conversation
but it is as if there are echoes amongst us
they all kept saying protest peacefully
non-violence is key
even the prosecutor said, while smirking at the podium, that we welcome peace
He said peace was welcome
as tear gas rained down
he said peace was welcome
as they prepared for war
weapons drawn
arms raised in defense of property
familiar...we said
like arms raised in defense of bullet shells shot
from a distance
his flesh could not resist the penetration
and as he fell forward
the final shot was fired...
smoked
unlike the $5 cigars he was never proven to steal
yet they said...in so many words, he got what
he deserved
as did we
what we deserve...
injustice we said
why?
they said it...already
Dred Scott set that stage
no rights he is bound to respect
nor life he is bound to protect
that is what it said
so it seemed
he said the same
and we have nothing
else to say
everyone has said
enough
as the fire burns
and the tears fall
enough
and as the victim is crucified
and the community blamed
enough
and as a mother's heart aches
and a father's soul dies
enough...
to God they do proclaim
and under our breath
and in our hearts
we say
the same...

I see Dreams deferred
hopes been denied
justice blindsided...
                           while children died
and I think to myself
it's a
not so wonderful world
think to myself
not so wonderful
seen hate be allowed 
                            to fester and grow
cameras confusing people 
with the pictures they show
and I think to myself 
it's a 
not so wonderful world 
think to myself
it is all not so wonderful
world

RMC
Copyright 2014