[Newspoetry] Cinncinati Blues

[Mike Lehman]

cop shoots unarmed kid
kid wanted for not wearing seatbelt
and other dastardly offenses
against law and order
cop says he was
in fear
for his
life
even though he
was the only one
with a gun

PEOPLE RIOT 'CAUSE THEY CAN'T TAKE NO MORE OF THIS SHIT
15 BLACK "SUSPECTS" HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE '95
BY CINCY COPS
AND NO WHITE SUSPECTS
SHOULD ANY OF THESE PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN KILLED?
NO COPS
HAVE BEEN KILLED?
I THINK
THEY ARE OVERREACTING
TO THE GUILT OF THEIR REPRESSION

NOW THERE'S A CURFEW
AND MAYBE THE NATIONAL GUARD
MORE GOVERNMENT MEN WITH GUNS
IS THIS A SOULUTION?
OR PART OF THE PROBLEM?

An interesting thing about the curfew in Cinncy.
Capitalism must continue without fail,
so you are allowed to be on the streets
to go to or from work. 

If you want to go to church,
since it is Holy Week and Passover this week, well.... 

The Mayor wants you to stay in your house and pray. 
Pray for your civil rights. 
Pray for young people
who've been gunned down by cops
who see people as their enemy
without basic human rights. 
Pray that no one else will be killled. 

Don't, however, go on to the streets
to go to church to pray. 
That is illegal under the curfew,
you may be arrested, or worse...