The Land of The Free?

The Land of The Free?

A Poem by Tom Higgins
"

Comment on a film I saw which was shot by a member of the Missouri public and which shows the killing of a young, unarmed black man.

"
Hey boy why're you
Walking on this street?
Hey boy I'm talking to you
Why'd you plant your feet,
On this here neighbourhood
This ain't where you live
You must be up to no good
What you been tryin' to thieve?

I ain't doin' nothin' wrong
I'm just passin' through
I'm an American citizen
I got the same civil rights as you.

Get your hands up boy
Above your head
Git 'em up there now
Do as you're told
Or I'll shoot you dead.
He did it anyhow.

Imagine if this was your son
Imagine how you would feel
To be accosted at the point of a gun
This is not made up it is real.

The " boy" was black he was shot dead
For walking down the street
In the face and in the head
This was how he had to meet

His end at eighteen years of age
Lying in a pool of blood
The cop remains anonymous
Does anyone believe he should?

Tom Higgins 25/08/2014

© 2014 Tom Higgins


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Reviews

This is very well written and so creative. Good job

Posted 9 Years Ago


Although Americas has come a long way Division will always be prevalent. We all have different opinions even with-in the same house-hole. I pray one day we can all live in harmony.

L. Pritchard

Posted 9 Years Ago



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144 Views
2 Reviews
Added on August 27, 2014
Last Updated on August 27, 2014
Tags: Murder, hate, futility, ignorance, stereotyping, failure.

Author

Tom Higgins
Tom Higgins

Egremont, North West, United Kingdom



About
I am sixty, I live in the English Lake District, and I am married with two daughters. I started to jot down some fleeting thoughts on things that disturb me, and things which I love, when I was fifty .. more..

Writing