I saw the headlines
I read the articles
That another man died yesterday
And another today
Fathers, brothers, sons
Another death
Another name
To add to that growing list
Of all the lives
That could have
And should have
Been

And the thunderous roar
The justifications
The recriminations
Flood and pour
As if this life
These lives
Are somehow less
Because…
A million becauses…
But really,
because
they
were
black.

I am tired
I am weary
I am sickened
To see another
mother
weep
Another son
Another daughter
Left with only a memory
of a parent
taken

And
STILL
nothing
changes.

Still
the blind turn
their backs
and close their ears
And spin their webs
Of excuses
Of justifications
Of finger pointing
Of victim blaming
Of fear and hate
Because it’s so much easier
to hate
Than to change.

We are all people
Each
No better
No worse
No less worthy
Of love
Of life
Of the air
We share
With all our neighbors
No matter the money in our pocket
The color of our skin
Or the lives we’ve led
Our hearts beat
our souls ache
and our blood
runs
red.

No more.
Please.
No more names.