Not a single heart 
among a nameless, faceless, uniformed mob
 Informed by a system intent to do more harm 
than good
 Uninformed of the way in which they wear a uniform 
that makes them see monsters 
beneath every hood
 And every mask—don’t bother to ask questions
 Answers don’t matter now 
as long as you stand 
with Black Lives Matter, man
 Knock an old man to the ground 
and walk away 
while his ears bleed
 Shoved him down without need, 
without cause built
 To offer help 
is to offer an admission of guilt
 That’s how you’re trained to see things 
instead of how to think 
things through 
in order to do the right thing
 Then claim he tripped and fell 
like how JFK’s brains just fell 
out of his head, too
 Whose law is at work in this disorder? 
And are there any borders you’re unwilling to cross 
to establish the right order?
 And what good could ever come of this, 
the way it is and the way it’s been, 
for anyone
—including you—
who isn’t sat atop the pyramid?
 It’s a scheme 
where they sell dreams 
to everyone who stands beneath 
their privilege 
 Because it seems 
as though there’s something 
more important for you to do 
 Than to be a brother or a sister 
to your fellow citizens
 Who you now see as merely wOkE denizens
 Of a world that’s rightfully yours, 
the lawfully good
 I would laugh if I could 
but it’s an awfully bad joke

This poem was originally shared over at Phoenix Fire Press on June 05, 2020.