POETRY

‘I Can’t Breathe’

a free verse poem in memory of George Floyd

“I can’t breathe!” — George Floyd pleads with the officer who was killing him, a knee to the neck.

I cannot watch the video. There are too many of these videos of life taking life taking life — blackness raising the chances of death unwarranted, of disproportionate incarceration of getting caught doing dangerous things! Like jogging — Like buying Skittles — Like crossing the street or trying to watch birds in the park.

“Being black in America should not be a death sentence,” — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey

Black men can’t breathe here. Their necks are pressed to pavement.

People watch this here, in this country where racism boils under like a disease.

I was in high school when Rodney King was beaten and televised like a sick precursor — in the country that would grow to love jerry springer, the sad, sad glorification of humans acting like cesspool maggots.

It’s all in good fun, right? This acting like animals?

It’s all for ratings. It’s all a Tuesday afternoon or a Sunday after church between movies and business meetings and when you are barbecuing with your families and celebrating life-while-white.

Meanwhile — black men can’t breathe. Get your privileged boot, your privileged knee

your privileged ass OFF their necks.

It shouldn’t be a privilege to breathe.

In memory of George Floyd.

Note from the author: I admit — I don’t often write poetry while angry. But it’s long past time to get angry.

For more poetry by this author:

Keep Quiet Girl (feminism)

A Young Boy at the Border (immigration, equality)

I Will Speak (politics, society, culture)

Christina M. Ward is a poet and nature writer from North Carolina. Her poetry has been published in the Cameo literary magazine, the Arrowhead literary magazine, Vita Brevis Poetry Magazine, Scarlet Leaf Review, The Frightened Traveler, and in Wolff Poetry Literary Magazine. Christina was the recipient of the Creative Writing Prose Award at Catawba College for a short piece entitled “Clarity.” She lives in rural North Carolina with her family, where she is working on her second novel. Her first poetry collection organic is available on Amazon.