Police Terrorism
By JM
Installing fear and terror in the minds and hearts
Of mothers and little children
Fearing one day they’ll get the call
That their son or father has become a murder victim
It’s a shame, who knows if this will stop
Being young and black in Amerikkka
My thoughts are, “Will I get slain by a cop?”
Police brutality
Has evolved into mass police terrorism
This is the harsh reality
Look at the times in which we’re living
Police getting away with murder
Never having to see a day in prison
It’s everywhere for the world to see
Via the Internet and television
So many hearts and homes are broken
With the terror of breaking news
Police abusing their authority
How many lives must we lose???
For several generations
Countless lives have been taken by the hands of the police
Police terrorism will cease
Once love overcomes hate
And then maybe we’ll find peace
Until then, it’s Just Us
Looking and fighting for Justice…….
4 Comments
Leave a Comment
The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
Very poignant. You have talent- that is for sure!!
Portrait of our times….
Dear JM,
For me, it all started with Trayvon Martin’s death. I had not realized before that time that I was a potential target, because of my skin color. Ever since then, I have noticed all the killings that occur around this crazy country. Your poem spoke to me, and I want you to know that you are not alone. I wish you a happy new year, and I’d like you to never give up hope!!!
-Jonathan, 12th grade
Hi JM,
Such a stirring poem and I’m taken by the play of “justice” and “just us”, especially when it comes to what we call justice often serving as a tool for the interests of only a part (the well-off and well-positioned, the white, the socially and environmentally favored) portion of the population- “just us” in a darker sense. How can this oppression become a forge for unity? And to what extent- in what conditions- with what choices- can that unity come to mirror or shadow the tainted unity of oppressors?
When and how can unity- as with the unity of the police in the face of scrutiny- become a negative force? When can it hinder us from empathizing with ‘the other,’ and how can we balance a sense of community with a lack of disdain for the other?
I hope you continue to navigate that juxtaposition. The world needs more minds like yours, and when I read your writing it gives me serious hope for change. Sorry for the over-analysis 😛
Best of best,
Danny