A single act of defiance
triggers rapid fire violence.
NOPD calls of a signal thirty.
Bloodshed caused by guns already dirty.
News vans filled with reporters hurry there.
Cameras snap a lethal ending that isn't rare.
Cops rope off the scene's parameter.
Spectators vibe's become a human barometer.
Warm bodies outlined in chalk.
Harried detectives prod witnesses to talk.
Gunpowder's scorching scent still lingers.
Many are afraid to point fingers.
This hesitation is bonded by frustration,
exasperation with the perp's state handled litigation.
Due process so slow it makes justice seem illusive.
Cause the D.A. may deem all evidence inconclusive.
A killer is released, headed back to the block.
His first stop?
Get strapped with a hot glock.
But, not this night, not this time.
For sight of young men lying twisted on the ground,
who'll soon be buried six feet down.
Thoughts of the caravan of cars headed up Airline,
returning from Providence Memorial for a secondline.
Empathizing with a mother's sorrow,
praying for an end to this citywide horror,
confidently she steps forward.
She's positive she'll be dubbed a rat.
Perhaps stare eye to eye with a gat.
She realizes that sometime real soon
her name may appear in the Times Picayune.
Classified as yet another unsolved homicide.
But, to remain silent will eat her alive.
So her back's erect and her mind is set.
She crosses the yellow.....
POLICE---DO NOT CROSS--- line.
copyright # TXu1-260-432
Comments
1 - 11 of 11
-
This takes Great Courage
You could start out as a reporter at the Times Picayune. Before too long you might be writing a column or special features.
-
Excellent...
The combo of legal, social and popular lexis made this a magnificent composition.
I have enjoyed the reading of "Cross The Line"
In gratitude and admiration,
Andre Emmanuel Bendavi ben-YEHU
-
Wow, that kept me on my toes. I love your work.
-
Once Again!
You have put me right into the heart of the inner city of Naw'lens. I mean I can almost smell the air. Very descrptive and poignant. Its like Lauryn says "every ghetto, every city". This crap happens up here in Pittsburgh too. I enjoyed this. Did I mention I have a tendency to ramble too. Lol.
-
Wow.. this is deep..but nice...these verses can be rapped in to a song easily!
-
oH MY ,
Your work is always so gutsy, its awesome, the way you shout it all out at the reader, exposing ll of you
truly truly magnificent
thanks
T
-
Dear poet I am in absolute awe you are a master story teller poet and all i can say is WOW
-
It is very refreshing to read stories of courage
rather than odes to fear and depression. If only there were more.
-
Within this piece of poetry the reader is witness to more than one way to cross the line, the mindless violence explodes and makes the senses reel, the law and order process investigative outline starts to take shape and then, then, courage in the shape of a Mother who espies to step up to the plate, three characters all choosing their actions and reactions. The perp' opts for violence, the cop opts to try and contain and the woman, she opts to cross that invisible line that is placed by a code of silence and without a weapon of offensive , like the perp, or a weapon of defence , like the cop, but with a need to see weapons put away as her sense of right from wrong is her weapon of non-agression. Amen to that.
-
this is so visual it was like watching a movie!!
you have a great tallent at reeling the reader in, im sure iv said this before but its true, the story is a hard hitting one and speaks of society today, only a few weeks ago a school lad died shot dead by another of his age in my community all to do with street gangs, what hope is there for the future and our children?
-
WOW!
Very powerful work of poetry Doreatha. I thought this grabbed my attention with the bloodshed in this. Thanks for writing!
Adding your comment:
1 - 11 of 11
