When Breathing is Considered Optional

I’m sorry to tell you,

a mother says to her son,

due to your skin color,

you can’t have that toy gun

But that is not all,

you better sit down

This is only

a partial list:

You can’t wear a hoodie

without having suspicion 
drawn upon you

You can’t barbeque

in the park,

without a white woman

being uncomfortable

and dialing 911

You can’t sit at Starbucks

waiting for a friend

without leaving 

in custody

You can’t nap on campus

even in your own dorm

without the police

being called

You can’t hold a cell phone

in your grandma’s backyard

without being handcuffed

after you are killed

You can’t walk into Walmart, 

pick an item off the shelf,

and carry it around casually

without fear of being shot

You can’t decline to wave

to someone’s neighbor

as you leave an AirBnB

You can’t even sit 
inside your own apartment

in case a cop gets confused

and thinks you are in hers

You can’t be president, 

despite your grace and intellect,

without having 

your religion and nationality

doubted and mocked

You can’t carry a real gun,

stashed away in your glove box,

even with a permit 

and full disclosure 

to the officer,

even with your girlfriend

and her daughter 

beside you

When will there 

no longer

be a need 

to march,

to kneel,

to protest?

When will Nazis 

not, in fact,

be “very fine people”?

When will continued shouts 

of “I can’t breathe” 

be enough 

to ensure 

a fucking breath?

3 Nov 2018