Lamentation
“Photography helps me look at the world in a more creative way. It expresses me in ways I cannot write down for people. My vision is to bring my viewers deep into what I am seeing through my eye and out through my lens. People have a story to tell. Why not capture it.”
Tyre Nichols
How lucky was I to be watching fleets of birds
Flying over the winter fields the skeletal trees
To have walked and been sung to by trilling wrens
And happy pale children and dogs chasing through the park
Having nothing to fear and savoring peace—
—while a young man of color is kidnapped
By police vigilantes murdered in measured steps
Tortured in the process while he called for his mom
The spiritual “Killing Black Youth With Our Song”
When will we ever learn never never never—
—in a world custom made for The Pale a rigged game
And I never knew it until now my White miracle
The luxury of growing old and unchallenged
And welcomed with open Pale Aryan arms
I am free the unfairness is bargain-basement fate—
—Tyre Nichols fairy tale boy of the Dark Wood
Ogres grim relentless waiting to steal away his life
Driving home is the crime the crime of place of horror
And there is no philosopher to explain this
And God is silent his will be done the Black child cursed—
—and when if ever will it end the rigged White deck
And guilt will not change it and emojis will not change it
And prayers will not change it and marches will not change it
And religion will not change it and DNA does not change it
The fact our species born of Africa is denounced is comfortless—
—so we await the next episode of SCORPION squads USA
Stalking children in city streets to hurt spray choke them
And Tyre’s mother and Tyre’s friends and Tyre’s old teachers
Beat their breasts for senselessness for absurdity hopeless
For it will not end it will not end it will not end it will not—
—how gifted am I and rich and White vibrant White free
Not knowing not wanting to know the pain of Blackness of hate
The luxury of growing old and unchallenged and free
O White o Purity o Numbness o Bliss o sweet sweet Ignorance
And having nothing to fear and savoring peace—
