If George Floyd’s death is still too raw for you…

I get it. I had to work through my anger with a poem. It’s rough. But maybe it was meant to be.

Spirit of America

Words

in action and deed

mean two different

things

Sweet land of

liberty

(for you not me)

Of thee I sing

(a voice for one

not many)

We hold these truths

(it’s recorded on my phone)

I lift my lamp

(but will you see?)

And they yelled

“Freedom! Liberty!”

with guns at their side

Crowded in a white capitol

And I gasped

“Justice!

Unarmed face down

On black asphalt

Freedom, Liberty, Justice

on the page

Justice will be delivered!

All Men are created Equal

Justice will be served!

Yearning to breathe free

And when it finally came

“I can’t breathe”

I was already dead.

--Keith Carmona