distractions
that is all we have
to give us the illusion
that we aren't going mad
bullets tear through
the flesh of young men
and women
and we automatically
revert back to the darkness
dark as our skin
dark as the officer's uniforms
dark as the night
and days
that witness what will ultimately
drive us mad
again
and again
and
again
deep breath
officer's word
against witnesses
taken as doctrine
until proof
proves
murder
occurred
from those commissioned
to protect and serve
protect and serve
I said protect and serve
protect this society
and serve up executions
in the name of lies
already thought of
just in case
when will it stop?
parents ask
brothers ask
sisters ask
wives ask
husbands ask
strangers ask
the masses ask
when will it stop?
and the response
is deafening silence
until more shots ring out
another son
another daughter
another mother
another father
another niece
another nephew
another cousin
another neighbor
another friend
torn from this world
and plastered upon headlines
and minds eyes
of those
subject to the madness
that some say is fabricated
through
self serving movements
dedicated to causes
we all should deem as worthy
what matters to you?
what matters to the souls
witnessing the death
of their brother
right next to them
in front of them
gun smoke billowing out
from the head
from the body
of yet another young life
they'll call it an accident
again
they'll paint the victim
as the aggressor
again
and the officer
as a dedicated lawman or woman
who feared for their life
again
with all that taxpayer paid training
they'll say they were afraid
again
they will be charged
or not charged
again
the divide will be cast
again
and the debate will rage
again
we will march and protest
again
we will riot
again
we will wait for justice
again
we will be outraged
again
because again
we will not have to wonder how
such a miscarriage of justice
could occur again
again
we will self medicate
seek therapy
mourn and grieve for the families
try to educate
loved ones
again
with a maniacal
fervency
because insanity
has taken control of us
we
wait for different results
doing it the same way
over
and over
and over, yet again
we
pray
we
hope
hoping that one day
it'll just stop
but we know it won't
it could be us next time
or our child
our brother
our sister
our mother
our father
our niece
our nephew
our neighbor
our friend
this is madness
involuntarily subjects
to the human experiment
where the dead
are judged
and the killers
are deemed innocent
by default
because of who they are
what they wear
and what they look like
interesting, huh?
we're being killed out here
for those same exact reasons...
