No justice, no peace.

by Poet on the Piano   May 31, 2020


There is no such thing as a good cop
when it's a system of abuse they uphold.
I've never had to fear for my life
while walking the city streets at night,
but you do.

You, who hold that boombox high,
"F**k the Police" blaring like an anthem
as you raise one first in the air and
dozens quickly join you.

You, who urge others to back away and
give the police space, yet are hit in the
face with gas canisters the moment you
do.

You, who carry the weight of thousands
of names on your lips,
who have to mourn and repeat their
legacies, so they will not be forgotten
among the many to come.

You, who watch those in uniform
be pardoned time and time again,
no shackles, just a slap on the wrist.

You, who sit on the MLK bridge,
demanding action, only to be met with
police cruisers trying to run you down.

You, who has your anger questioned
then invalidated by strangers.
You, told to act more "civil".
You, who meets with local government
leaders and never sees any change.
You, told to work with those who
enslave and demean you.
You, called violent by nature,
for simply wanting to live.

Today, I'm proud of our city.
I'm proud that the flow of life and
privilege was momentarily disrupted.
I'm proud that the burden was not
solely on those who've lost it all.

But it shouldn't take death to spark
a resistance.

It shouldn't, but always does.

    report violation
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Latest Comments

  • 3 years ago

    by D.

    This is a very visceral poem, Maryanne and your voice carries its message well. This is more of a speech than a poem, and the shaky pride that exists throughout this poem is palpable. The injustice is loud, and the final line is silencing.

    'I've never had to fear for my life
    while roaming the city streets at night,
    but you do.'

    I find 'roaming' a little unfitting as I find it unintentionally negative in its connotations? I'm not entirely sure why, but the sentiment hits hard. I once wrote something similar about women in a poem about rape, but this is another type of living I will never understand. White male privilege. Fearing for your safety in your own country due to your gender and/or skin colour is a terrifying thought.

    'You, who watch those in uniform
    be pardoned time and time again,
    no shackles, just a slap on the wrist.'

    It's infuriating. The shackles are only for the oppressed right? It's upsetting that freedom of speech only exists until a certain point in which the speech becomes a problem. Some people's language is rioting, some scream platitudes at a tv screen, some repeat mantras that have long lost their meaning, some write poetry. It doesn't matter. Where will our outrage be in a few months when these problems still exist but the smoke has waned?

    I loved this.

    • 3 years ago

      by Poet on the Piano

      Thank you, Daniel. YES to everything you said. 1000x. And I agree about "roaming", thanks for the note, didn't even think of that as a negative connotation when posting.

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