Original poem by Angela Scott

This poem is in response to the shootings in Ferguson, Fruitvale, Florida and all around the nation where police are snuffing out brown and black lives that matter.

I wasn’t there
but I could feel each bullet
scarring tissue
each fist 
bruising and breaking skin
tearing through bone and marrow
stopping beats and pulses
taking life after life

I wasn’t there
but I could see him 
raising his hands in surrender
hands cuffed behind his back
holding candy and a drink
mind of a small child
running away for his life
heads bowed and kneeling
laying on the curb, on bellies
this child, this man
hoping that 
this cop, with this gun
would not fear him
with no gun, armed only with the color of skin
and yes 
apparently this is a deadly weapon

i wasn’t there
but i know why 
they did not bother 
to cover the still bodies that lay
slain in the street
while their hands are forever bloodied 
this is nothing new
these cruel intentions
not even bothering to cover up
something so shameful
so we will do what you want
and not forget

i wasnt there
but i could feel the warmth
of those banning together
holding fast
staying strong
rising up 
against something so wrong
something thats gone on too long
something that can no longer be justified
something that can no longer be quieted down
when something like 108 black men and boys
were gunned down by police in the month of august alone

i wasnt there for that but 
i hope you can feel my disgust
i hope you can feel my anger
when i hear you deny that there is infact a problem
but white boys or white men are not dying in similar fashion
but black men and brown boys are
i hope you can at least 
feel what we have felt even though some might be 
on the other side of the color line
and even those on this side
who wait for the quiet and the stillness
that come after
after the media has left
and after the crowds disburse
and the tension loosens
and after when you turn on the television and are not reminded, constantly
i assure you 
it will not change
how long must we wait to be 
surprised when this happens again?
when we hear of another town 
in another state
where another child
with hands up 
head down
knees bowed
colored face 
is murdered
while we pretend to be mad
without action
contradicting everything 
We should all be upset
We
in all shades
i wasn’t there, but i am here now

#BlackAndBrownLivesMatter