Poem - Soul Unconsoled

[kokopelle]

I saw an animated meme that feature commentators talking about the physical altercation between a school security resource and a student. The video of the scene showed a white officer physically pulling at a black female student. One commentator said that all the facts weren't known. The other commentator state, "I don't need to know more, I saw what happened (in the video)". This prompted me to write the poem "Soul Unconsoled". While I am typically on the wrong categorical side of society justice issues (as I am an older white male), there are emotional triggers that immediately impact me in dramatic ways. Through this lens I can somewhat understand the very honest impact of situations like the one referenced in the animated meme.


Soul Unconsoled
Poem for Day 301 – 20151029

I don't need to know more,
I saw what happened.
There in my mind's eye,
the abuse of the past,
the recycled patterns
of the social injustice,
these are what I saw
with the scene now frozen.

The skin of the new
echo the hate of the past.
I blame more than them,
this is so much larger.
A single sole person
bears the sins of the whole
as history descends
on the unfortunate one.

The ghosts of the past
speak their minds to me.
The ancient combatants
embracing again.
The heartstrings are pulled
as wounds are reopened.
The record restarts
with old tunes repeated.

I know this is true
because my blood runs cold.
My emotions are triggered
as my rage overflows.
My fear is released
as the scene does unfold.
The truth is transparent
in the pit of my soul.

Don't speak of facts,
of outlying conditions.
I've heard these before
with acts of contrition.
They lie at their heart,
lives trampled again,
with justice delayed
the truth again missed.

I'll say this again,
I don't need to know more.
Injustice is constant
in my view of the world.
I saw what happened,
don’t tell me I didn't.
Blood on the ground,
my soul unconsoled.

© 2015, Sean Green. All Rights Reserved.