Dear Ferguson
Dear Ferguson,
You should’ve never happened.
To others, you came as a surprise.
To some, you were a consequence.
But to those that dwelled in the cracks of
City sidewalks –
Within the brick and mortar
Of the Midwest –
You were just another gunshot to our
Target practice hearts.
See, this has been happening forever.
You weren’t all that different.
You only showed the split in this country
For the canyon that it really is.
You showed us whom we could
Or couldn’t trust.
Don’t trust those
That treat cops like gods.
They’ll echo off these canyon walls that
If you piss one off, it’s only just
That you’re subject to his wrath.
Remember that Ares,
The supposed god of war,
Hid his cowardice in
His outrage –
Hid it in his spear,
Taking out his fears
On the innocent.
Ferguson,
You are still
Ricocheting off these canyon walls.
You are still
Wedged in our
Target practice hearts.
Dear Mike Brown,
Dear Eric Garner,
Dear Tamir Rice,
Dear Freddie Gray,
Dear Sandra Bland,
Dear Philando Castile,
Dear Alton Sterling,
Dear Walter Scott.
Dear Ferguson,
You send chills down my spine
That I hope never go away
So I can show the world
What fear is.