Like any other Friday
I wake up early
get ready and
go work

but...

today,
I heard them,
and paused as I took
that first step out of the front door

the screams of my ancestors,

the desperate plea from
wrongly accused men,

the last words and breathe
of every black man,
woman,
and child
murdered in cold blood...

I heard their warning.
“Don’t go.”

I called off work.


- a.r.Camm

Lemme see your hands,
That's what the officer said,
But he still shoots like he couldn't see my hands,
Why did you shoot me?
I kept my hands visible,
I didn't resist or reach in my pockets.

You ain't need to pull out and fire your gun,
All that was unnecessary,
You think just because you're an officer of the law,
That you're above the law,
You're not above the law,
You need to be better at protecting and serving,
Stop killing us.

Protect us and stop killing us,
I'm just a innocent black man,
The black on black crime getting scary,
Black lives matter,
Ths color of my skin makes life harder,
Had a target on my back since birth.

With bloodshot eyes and placards
We're on the streets for our sisters' plight
Marching ,chanting and praying
For our brothers that lost their lives.

We refuse to accept your lies
We continue fight for the truth and life
And some of you say it's our sister's fault
She walked right into this chaos
If she didn't, it would have saved us
The stress and rumors that are before us.

Same thing you said about our daughters
Who are still trying to write letters
Who are in classes and taught alphabeta.
They should have known this would happen
They should have known that this uncle
Would penetrate after he opens.

I wonder how unfeeling you are
How you sit back and encourage justice to wither.
I tried to accept that you would later
See reason with the victim's father
Or mother or sister or friend because we're meant to help each other.

Remember that girl you held and plundered is indeed someone's daughter.