By: Cedric McClester
Some question the police
They should be asked at least
As rioters disturbed the peace
Why they watched the violence increase
As incredible as it might sound
They may have been told to stand down
Given conditions on the ground
That would be nothing short of profound
The police used great restraint
But the picture that it might paint
Is it’s clearly what it ain’t
A show of force under constraint
So where do we begin
And how does the mayor fit in
Will someone say who can
To help us understand
Was it just a slippery slope
Or were their hands tied by a rope
Do we need a microscope
And will the answer restore hope
Those who watched couldn’t miss it
Were the police complicit
Cos the riot was illicit
They did nothing to resist it
I’m far from a detective
It's a matter of perspective
Were the police under directive
As some of us suspected
And if so who ordered them
From whence did the order stem
Whether it was her or him
They should preserve life and limb
© Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester. All rights reserved.
Apr 28, 2015
Apr 28, 2015 at 2:26 PM UTC
By: Cedric McClester
Some question the police
They should be asked at least
As rioters disturbed the peace
Why they watched the violence increase
As incredible as it might sound
They may have been told to stand down
Given conditions on the ground
That would be nothing short of profound
The police used great restraint
But the picture that it might paint
Is it’s clearly what it ain’t
A show of force under constraint
So where do we begin
And how does the mayor fit in
Will someone say who can
To help us understand
Was it just a slippery slope
Or were their hands tied by a rope
Do we need a microscope
And will the answer restore hope
Those who watched couldn’t miss it
Were the police complicit
Cos the riot was illicit
They did nothing to resist it
I’m far from a detective
It's a matter of perspective
Were the police under directive
As some of us suspected
And if so who ordered them
From whence did the order stem
Whether it was her or him
They should preserve life and limb
© Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester. All rights reserved.
Some Question The Police is one more in the series of poems inspired by events in Baltimore in the wake of the Freddie Gray funeral.