In Memory of George Floyd, and Too Many Others
We circle,
Resisting the pull,
Watching what we say,
Where we go.
“Remember who you are,”
Our parents warn,
As we circle,
Trying to keep our distance
From the no escape.
We circle,
From the orbits
Where “kindship” was
Gone with the wind of the
Auction block, to
More sophisticated ways
To give a life for a living.
We circle,
Ten and two,
Hands on the wheel,
Hoping for
The touch of
Empathy that can exhale,
Helping us to survive
A turn for the worst.
We circle,
Witnessing
All colors of cracked skulls
Flowing the same red
Standing up for
My life, our lives, with
The lives that matter.
What can be done,
As we circle,
Struggling to not be,
Painted out of
The picture.
Flashing lights!
My turn is over and
It happens to me.
I cannot breathe,
Calling for mom,
As I am excused
Into
The disappearing
Darkness.
(Featured image, above) Mural at 38th Street & Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis. The George Floyd Global Memorial is organizing a “Rise & Remember” celebration in May 2023. A conference and related activities will take place in Minneapolis and organizers are also encouraging others to host virtual and local events around the country. Info at GeorgeFloydGlobalMemorial.org.
Thomas Small is a thirty year resident of Jefferson County, with a poetic outlook on life.
By Thomas Small