Motionless boys,
brown skin baking in the sweltering heat.
Skittles, watermelon flavored juice, and a toy gun rest just beyond their reach.
An officer grasps his holster
while a woman clutches her purse.
A judge mutters “tough on crime” to no one in particular.
Their bonded contempt encircles the bodies.
A man walks by,
flaunting guns and explosives
as he clutches his prized framed photograph of Timothy McVeigh.
“Be careful,” shout the voices in unison,
pointing at the darkening brown flesh.
“Stay out of the sun.”
“Make this neighborhood great again.”
A hat tip, a grin, and a bang from the gavel
create melanin solidarity.
Released on bond.
Read More:
A neo-Nazi with explosives and a framed photo of Timothy McVeigh is not a threat, judge says [Washington Post]
Marcelius Braxton lives in Clarksville, TN. He serves as the Director of the Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center and as an Adjunct Professor in Political Science at Austin Peay State University. He has a B.S. in Economics, Political Science, and Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh, a J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law, and an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Missouri.
