Man

(This is an unusual post for me. But it felt necessary.)

They didn’t need a gun to kill George Floyd.

Just a knee on the neck, + gravity + time…

the centuries of oppression,

domination

pushing down…

until a man can’t breathe.

Hold still. Don’t resist.

You’ve done wrong. You must pay.

But no trial of proof given,

no jury to convict.

Just a knee on the neck,

the weight of fear + contempt

pushing down through time

so a man can’t breathe.

They didn’t need oppression to stop their march for justice.

Just some distraction

will break apart the panes of memory,

shattering through time…

and the frenzied fire of greed forsakes

the ever-gasping need

of a man who can’t breathe.

Mothers on their knees

to pray

not to prey

— brokenhearted, burnt by rage —

the sufferings of centuries

push down upon their souls…

the need is great as air

and the hope won’t be abandoned

that the good in all will rise

to cast off the weight of hate

… so a man can breathe.

(On the First Friday of June 2020, I had intended to share something for the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

But maybe I did?)

© 2020 Christina Chase

---

Feature Photo intentionally black