t-shirts as tombstones

t-shirts as tombstones
(love poem for oakland)
james tracy

capture the image
loose your breath
rewind
repeat

take the streets
loose the streets
rewind
repeat

gather the forces
gather the storn
rewind
repeat

announce the findings
prounounce him dead
rewind
repeat

break the windows
calm down
rewind
repeat

file the writs
bite the nails
rewind
repeat

remember the past
forget the past
rewind
repeat

read the paper
burn the paper
rewind
repeat

pray for peace
forget about peace
rewind
repeat

blame the system
blame the victims
rewind
repeat

inhale teargas
swallow pride
rewind
repeat

watch the kids
wonder about the future
rewind
repeat

turn on the television
lock the door
rewind
repeat

arrest them all
unarrest them all
rewind
repeat

raise bail
raise cain
rewind
repeat

run for your life
sit still
rewind
repeat

cite the statistic
become the statistic
rewind
repeat

set aside fear
drown in despair
rewind
repeat

invoke slave revolts
hope it will be different
rewind
repeat

write a letter
argue with your co-worker
rewind
repeat

call for oversight
call for insight

hope
act
move
retreat

rewind
repeat

repeat