"I can't breathe"

The first time I heard his name

A year ago today

Begging for breath

For respect

For life

For basic human decency

Was that too much to ask?

A year ago

I still can't believe

Can't comprehend

That someone could die

Held down

Suffocated

Under the weight

Of a police officer!

A police officer!

Someone who should know better

Should act better

Should follow the letter

Of the law

Of human decency

Of moral consistency

Even writing these words

It feels like a film

Or a book

A crazy book

You know could never be true

Yet it was reality

Is still a possibility

It could be you or me

No probably not me

My colour protects me

It shouldn't

But it does

How wrong that is

But if you're not white

Then it could be you

You could die

On a road

Begging for breath

Just asking for respect

Begging for life

For the right to live

Why don't black lives matter

Don't tell me they do

Coz they don't

Not in the same way

And we accept that fact

Allow colour as an excuse

For abuse

If you're thinking

This is a US problem

Hold onto your hat

The UK too has these facts

Though we pretend we're ok

Above that behaviour

We're not!

Racism is everywhere

So common we don't see it

We choose not to see it

Institutional racism

A societal schism

Let's heal the division

Create a mission

For equality

True parity

When black lives matter

The world will be better

For everybody

Are you with me?